


Pride and Prejudice and Dickheads

by Virus138



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Blow Jobs, Denial, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Dubcon Kissing, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Foursome, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Gentle Kissing, Gentle Sex, Hand Jobs, Hate to Love, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Control, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Making Out, Mates, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mildly Dubious Consent, Morning Cuddles, Neck Kissing, Omega Verse, Pining, Possessive Behavior, Rough Sex, Sleepy Cuddles, Slow Burn, Truth or Dare, Whipped Cream, everyone with everyone - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2018-12-16 03:20:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 78,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11820159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Virus138/pseuds/Virus138
Summary: Most Omegas in the world have mates - usually someone they know and once they find each other, they are given a government issued house and expected to get on with it. Hinata doesn't want a mate, especially not a boy so he's pretty devastated when he finds out he has not one, not two, but three mates - two of which are Alphas, bound to fight for dominance over him.With a heat each month and his mates easily losing control when it comes to him, the four must learn a way to live alongside each other without snarky comments, fights and brooding in the corner - all while pretending they're not feeling anything for each other.





	1. Cause This is a Wasteland, My Only Retreat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SeamoreRed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeamoreRed/gifts), [xiennary123](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiennary123/gifts), [Alna_king](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alna_king/gifts).



> Okay, first off, I've planned this shit out and it's gonna be pretty lit so don't judge it on this shitty first chapter that's basically like the needed intro. Keep in mind I'm stealing internet from my neighbours cause I'm in a shitty Polish countryside village rn and I have none - and also, I am writing this with my fingers burning off cause it's fucking hot. See? I commit to this, guys xD 
> 
> Nah, but for real, the Haikyuu prompts are on hiatus for a bit cause this has been following me around for time and y'all know I'm a sucker for some slow burn romance with a side of domestic fluff and a shot of wrists pinned to walls. Hope y'all like this mess that is about to be spilled - this pairing doesn't get nearly enough luuuuv~

‘’Did you know that there’s been a new study,’’ Hinata’s mom came into the kitchen, where he was washing up, ‘’that proves your mate is someone you know 90% of the time.’’

‘’Not surprising,’’ Hinata said, putting a plate on the rack and shutting off the water. He smiled at his mom, ‘’maybe I’ll get Yachi.’’

‘’Mmmh,’’ his mom folded a cloth absent mindedly, ‘’or that boy, Kageyama.’’

 Hinata pretended to gag, ‘’gross, mom. Kageyama’s my friend but he’s…you know, like, all ‘rah!’ on me. I’d rather have Yachi.’’

‘’But Yachi’s a beta, isn’t she?’’

‘’So?’’ Hinata shrugged, ‘’there’s plenty of Omega boys who are mated with Beta girls. Besides, why are you bringing this up?’’

‘’I’m worried about you, Shoyo,’’ his mom sighed, swiping his fiery hair out of his eyes, ‘’you’re nineteen now. You’ve presented a while ago, you’ve had a few heats. You’re going to get your mate soon, whether you want it or not,’’ her eyes saddened, ‘’and then you’ll have to move in with them.’’

‘’Hey, blame the government for that, not me.’’

‘’No, no, it’s good,’’ Hinata’s mom corrected herself, ‘’that you get a free house and some privacy. It’s good,’’ she said again, ‘’I’ll just miss having you around. And Natsu will, too.’’

‘’Mom, I’m not going anywhere, at least not yet,’’ Hinata started to walk out of the kitchen, and grinned over his shoulder, ‘’did you know there’s been a study ages ago, that proves that some Omegas don’t have mates? Maybe that’s me. Maybe you’ll have to deal with me forever.’’ He skipped out of the kitchen and up the stairs, to his bedroom. His head was full of volleyball and the practice tomorrow – if he were still a first year, he’d ask Daichi to do a one-on-one with him, to teach him how to block better. Now, a fourth year, he was a master at blocking, and e taught all the youngers how to do it. Before Daichi and Suga were mated, high school lasted three years, and then you went to university. Ever since finding your mate became more common, the government had brought in another year in high school. This was the defining year, where most eighteen and nineteen year olds found their mates and could freely decide if they wanted to drop out and work or go to university.

There were a great deal more things that the government had brought in during the last three years that hadn’t been there before, like Hinata’s weekly Omega class, where they taught him a great many things, most of which made him pray that he didn’t have a mate, or at least not an Alpha one. Alpha violence was very common and there were at least a dozen hotlines and safe zones for hurt Omegas. Of course, those wouldn’t change the fact that you were mates with a psychopath, or an abusive alpha or someone who enjoyed hurting you. Hinata was short, even for an Omega, and though he viciously practiced volleyball, he wasn’t all that muscular either. He wasn’t weak by human standards, but if he was to face off with an Alpha, he’d stand no chance. Which meant that he’d be powerless to anything an Alpha wanted to do to him.

The Housing Act was put in place not only so that newly mated couples could get accustomed to each other, living together in a government issued house or flat, but also for Alphas and the more dominant Betas to be around any Omegas they were mated with, so that when they’re heat came they wouldn’t go crazy, already accustomed to their scent, usually having had sex beforehand as well. Hinata shuddered at the mere thought of that. If it was Yachi or another cute girl he was friends with he could do it, maybe. But if it was a boy – gods, _Kageyama_ for instance – he didn’t think he could stand being touched that way. Maybe he was just immature. Sighing, Hinata dumped himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He hated thinking of these things, but his mom had gotten him worried. Yeah, he was nineteen now – it was a matter of days before he found out who his mate was, he could feel it. He touched the place where his neck and shoulder met, where his mate would give him the bite, if they were an Alpha.

The doors opened and Natsu waddled in, half asleep already, pulling Hinata away from his dark thoughts, ‘’Shoyo, story!’’ Natsu demanded, crawling onto his futon.

Hinata smiled. He’d been reading Natsu bedtime stories for as long as he could remember. He now tucked his little sister against his side and pulled her fairytale book from the stack of comics and manga by his futon. Mates or Omegas or Alphas or Kageyama didn’t cross his mind till volleyball practice the next morning.

*~*~*

The other fourth years were late to morning practice. Hinata wasn’t surprised. Yamaguchi might have been Captain but he was also Class President and his meetings often ran late; Tsukki was trying to get into university so he studied till late night, and woke up late to practice; and Kageyama…well, it was strange that Kageyama was late to something his whole life revolved around. As vice-Captain, Hinata made first years do drills and set up a practice match with the second and third years in the corner. Then, he approached Yachi. Over the years she went from painfully shy to tranquil. She often calmed him down when he got too pumped up – Hinata thought they’d be good together, but he didn’t tell her that, ‘’morning. What are you writing?’’

‘’I’m planning out the next practice match,’’ Yachi said, showing Hinata her notepad where she had everything written out, ‘’I’m thinking maybe we could put Ren as a middle blocker. I know he’s only a first year but his movements and build reassemble Daichi’s, and with a little tuning…’’

‘’He could be our main defence,’’ Hinata grinned, ‘’yeah!’’

Yachi smiled, and pressed her notebook to her stomach, ‘’how are you doing, Shoyo?’’

Hinata blinked, surprised, ‘’what do you mean?’’

‘’I mean, have you found your mate yet?’’

Hinata gave her a look, ‘’you know I’d tell you if I did.’’

Yachi smiled knowingly, ‘’you don’t want one, do you?’’

‘’Not really,’’ Hinata said reluctantly, ‘’but I wouldn’t mind…if it was someone I really liked…’’ he felt suddenly embarrassed, and a little giddy, like a first year about to confess his love.

Yachi managed to kill that with her next, seemingly innocent question, ‘’what about Kageyama?’’

Hinata groaned, ‘’what is it with me and Kageyama that makes everyone think we’re mates?’’

Yachi laughed, and shrugged, ‘’you two suit. You’re a good match.’’

‘’Yeah, boys are a no-no,’’ Hinata assured, ‘’besides-‘’

He didn’t get to finish. Suddenly, a searing pain went through his stomach, and he doubled over. He faintly heard Yachi call his name, the kids stop practicing, before delicious warmth seeped into him. He smelled him then – his mate. He picked up the scent immediately, a scent he knew so, so well – autumn air and faint sweat and deodorant. Kageyama. Through the warm haze, Hinata frowned. There was something else that _didn’t_ smell like Kageyama, though – something fresh and minty and cold. And then, another smell, separate from the others, like cookies and flowers and sunshine, if sunshine had a smell. How could his mate have three separate scents?

Hinata shuddered as the last of the warmth seeped from him, leaving him cold, and finally opened his eyes.

He really, _really_ wished he didn’t.

The whole volleyball court was silent as death. Hinata realised why. The doors to the gym were open. The three late fourth years were finally there and they, too, were staring at Hinata. Tsukishima and Kageyama were Alphas - that was as well known as the fact that Hinata was an Omega. Now their eyes were glowing, faintly, Kageyama’s bright blue, Tsukishima’s gold. Yamaguchi was looking between them and Hinata as if he’d just been slapped and didn’t know why. Yachi, who had been halfway to pulling Hinata up, was pale as death as she looked between the fourth years. Finally, she whispered, and her voice carried in the silent gym, ‘’ _four_ of you?’’

Yamaguchi laughed nervously, ‘’what do you mean, four?’’ sometimes, there were more than two mates. Sometimes, rarely, there were three. But four was practically unheard of. Especially not with two Alphas and only one Omega.

‘’You’re all mates,’’ Yachi said, voice high with disbelief.

The gym broke out with chatter and gasps and Hinata suddenly felt surrounded. He let Yachi pull him up but he was too shaky to run outside. Instead, Kageyama did it. He turned on his heel, not looking at any of his new found mates, and stormed out. Yamaguchi looked helplessly to Tsukishima, ‘’Tsukki-‘’

‘’Shut up, Yamaguchi,’’ Tsukishima snapped, and turned, too, ‘’I’m not practicing today.’’ He was gone in the opposite direction to Kageyama.

Yamaguchi and Kageyama looked at each other, feeling their world shatter around them.


	2. Now We're Stuck in a Storm We Were Born to Ignore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi ladsss~ Thanks for all the reviews, I acc got way more interested people than I expected, considering that this is such an obscure pairing. To all the people I gifted the work to - thanks for checking it out and being supportive, as always <3

Hinata took a deep breath, feeling like it was his last. The house was…well, everything you’d expect an Omega’s home to be. Medium sized, looking homey and cosy, with a few flowers growing in the front by a low brick wall marking the edge of the property. The windows were large, with blue windowsills and the walls were a creamy yellow. Something straight out of a fairytale. And yet Hinata felt the need to run away from this perfect little house, that would soon hold four clashing personalities – or, three. Yamaguchi got along with everyone. Hinata glanced behind his shoulder, at his minivan. It was beat up and bright red, and honestly, he’d rather sleep in there than in his new house. But he couldn’t, for one simple reason – Yamaguchi. He was the kindest, gentlest soul Hinata knew and he’d die before he sentenced him to those two idiots. So he squared his shoulders, tightened his fingers on the handle of his suitcase and stepped through the little gate.

The gravel crunched under Hinata’s feet as he neared the doors and raised his fist to knock, before remembering he had his new keys that had come in the mail. He dug around and pulled them out. His numerous key-rings dripped from it. He’d put them there to make the key seem a little more normal and not some horrible weight in his pocket. Another deep breath later he was opening the doors and pulling his suitcase inside.

‘’Hinata.’’ Yamaguchi said his name softly, with a gentle, shy smile accompanying it. He was standing in the kitchen, into which the doors opened, by the counter holding the stove. The kitchen was a pretty, bright room; in front of Yamaguchi lay three potted plants, ‘’hey.’’

‘’Hey,’’ Hinata exhaled.

Slowly, Yamaguchi extended his hand and when Hinata stepped forward, he found himself enveloped in a warm, brief hug that smelled of home. Resisting the urge to nuzzle his nose into Yamaguchi’s collar, Hinata waited for the Captain to let go. But he didn’t. He pulled away slightly, but kept an arm around Hinata’s waist, a comfortable weight, ‘’I was trying to decide which one to put on the kitchen window,’’ Yamaguchi jerked his chin at the three potted plants and turned his face to Hinata. Like this, they were almost nose-to-nose and Hinata felt his heart stutter in his chest, ‘’what do you think?’’

Hinata opened his mouth to answer just as the doors opened and Tsukishima walked through. It was probably the first time Hinata saw him look…uncomfortable, ‘’hey,’’ he said.

Yamaguchi smiled at him, and kept an arm around Hinata, ‘’hi, Tsukki.’’

Hinata couldn’t find his voice. Through his head, images flashed of what he’d be expected to do with him…and Kageyama, too, since he was also an Alpha. It looked like Yamaguchi would be his safe haven. Tsukishima gestured behind him, ‘’is the minivan yours?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata still took his bike to school.

‘’Kay.’’ An awkward silence descended on the room. Finally, Tsukishima took his coat off, hung it on the peg and grabbed his suitcase, ‘’I’m gonna go unpack.’’

The other two watched him go. Hinata looked up at Yamaguchi, ‘’have you been upstairs yet?’’

Yamaguchi smiled at him sheepishly, ‘’no. I was just a bit overwhelmed, I guess,’’ he looked at his three plants, picked the green cacti and carried it over to the windowsill. Immediately, Hinata missed his arm around his waist, ‘’I mean, we have a house all to ourselves. How crazy is that?’’

Hinata grinned, ‘’well crazy,’’ he said, and finally remembered to take his jacket off. He hung it next to Tsukishima’s, ‘’I mean, if not for this whole affair I don’t think I’d be able to afford a house in this life. Or the next.’’

Yamaguchi smiled absently and wandered back to Hinata, ‘’what do you think of this ‘whole affair’?’’

Hinata looked down at his scruffy shoes, ‘’I try not to think about it.’’

Before Yamaguchi could think of what to say to that, the doors opened once more. Hinata felt a sense of dread creep into him as he turned to face Kageyama – somehow, he knew the raven would be much more difficult than Tsukishima. Yamaguchi didn’t even get the chance to greet him, because Kageyama marched right past them, a single bag slung over his shoulder and what looked like a terrarium in his arms. He was gone in a flash, before Hinata could even catch his eye.

*~*~*

The house was nice; Kageyama had to admit, if a bit overbearingly sweetened. Everything seemed to scream ‘family’ at him but his simple mind couldn’t grasp how he and three other guys could ever be just that. With Hinata…well, in a different life, he’d have been Kageyama’s first choice for a roommate at university. They were best friends, which made this whole arrangement all the more perverse. And Yamaguchi was…a good Captain, and a good friend. The first years had gotten over their differences in the middle of the second year, and they ended up spending a lot of time together. Kageyama blamed that for the fact that they were all now mates. Tsukishima was the worst. Yeah, they were friends – barely. They fought over everything and made sarcastic comments towards each other. Without the other two acting like glue, they wouldn’t have been able to bear being around each other. Kageyama sighed; why couldn’t he have gotten just one of them, preferably Hinata or Yamaguchi? He could deal with that – barely. Three mates was impossible for him.

Kageyama escaped the kitchen as quickly as he could, without risking the terrarium slipping out of his hands. The living room was nice but, again, everywhere were sign that they were expected to grow inseparable. There was a couch in front of the TV that looked like a very, very big armchair. It was square, with a high backing and sides, almost like a box, made for four people. For cuddling. Kageyama fought back the nausea that attacked him and hurried out of the living room, into the corridor leading into the back doors and the garden. There was a bathroom here and a set of narrow stairs. Kageyama went upstairs. There were only two room here, opposite each other – a second bathroom and the master bedroom. Swallowing thickly, Kageyama pushed the ajar doors open with his shoulders and stepped in.

The first thing he noticed was Tsukishima; he stuck out like a sore thumb anywhere he went, thanks to his height. Well, no, he was being unfair. Tsukishima stuck out because of his height, but also because of his blond hair and handsome, cold face. Yeah, Tsukishima was a handsome piece of shit and it was one of the things that irritated Kageyama. But for once, he wasn’t trying to start a war, ‘’oh. Hey.’’

Kageyama found his voice, ‘’hey.’’ He glanced around the room, taking it in. The bed was massive, and it must have cost _a lot_.  There was a multitude of pillows and, thankfully, four separate covers. The bed would easily fit all of them. Kageyama desperately scanned the room for somewhere else he could sleep at night, and his eyes fell on the oversized armchair – there. Everything in the room seemed to be oversized – the wardrobe, the nightstand with four drawers, the desk in the corner with two chairs side-by-side… there were a lot of potted plants, too, presumably Yamaguchi’s, on every surface.

‘’What’s that?’’ Kageyama blinked and looked at Tsukishima, who was, in turn, looking at the terrarium in his hands, ‘’tell me that’s not a tarantula.’’

‘’No, uh…it’s a…’’ Kageyama went to the bed and set the terrarium down carefully on the soft mattress. Then, he opened the doors and lowered his hands inside. Tsukishima sat down on the edge of the bed curiously as Kageyama’s fingers gently pulled leaves out of the way, in search of the inhabitant. He finally found what he was looking for and drew out his hand.

Tsukishima had expected a spider or a lizard or even a fucking snake…but on Kageyama’s hand sat a turtle, no larger than his palm. Tsukishima blinked, ‘’you have a turtle?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Kageyama stroked the shell with one finger. Tsukishima found himself surprised, again – he’d never seen Kageyama be so gentle and careful with anything, ‘’he’s really interesting. I like feeding his strawberries.’’

‘’You like feeding his strawberries…’’ Tsukishima echoed.

‘’Yeah,’’ Kageyama raised his eyes to Tsukishima, ‘’wanna hold him?’’

Tsukishima shrugged – after all, he’d never held a turtle before – and held his hand out expectantly. Kageyama tipped his slowly, and the turtle lazily crawled off his hand and into Tsukishima’s. The blond raised his hand till he was eye-level with the little animal, ‘’shame we don’t have any strawberries,’’ he murmured.

The doors to the bedroom were kicked open with a knee and Hinata came in, lugging his suitcase with both hands. He whistled at the interior. Yamaguchi, who was right behind him, looked straight to Tsukishima, ‘’Tsukki, what’s in your hand?’’

Tsukishima angled his hand towards the two boys, ‘’check it out; Kageyama has a turtle.’’

Hinata’s eyes lit up and he dropped his suitcase, falling to his knees in front of Tsukishima, who lowered the turtle down for the ginger to see, ‘’wow!’’ Hinata exclaimed, grinning like a child, ‘’he’s so cute!’’

Kageyama felt himself redden a little. Not many people saw his turtle, ‘’y-you think so?’’

‘’Yeah!’’ Hinata laughed, and looked to Kageyama, ‘’can I hold him?’’

Kageyama nodded and Tsukishima tipped his hand, like Kageyama had done previously. But the turtle scrambled away, up Tsukishima’s hand, as fast as it could. Hinata’s face fell and Kageyama was surprised at how sad he looked. Perhaps it was all the things that had happened over September that finally weighed down on him, ‘’he’ll get used to you,’’ he offered as consolation and Hinata sent him a sad smile.

‘’So what’s his name?’’ Yamaguchi asked. Kageyama flushed again, and mumbled something, ‘’what?’’

‘’Volleyball,’’ Kageyama grumbled, embarrassed.

Tsukishima, as always, gave a condescending chuckle, ‘’you named your turtle _Volleyball?_ As expected from a simple minded king.’’

Kageyama cut him a glare and snatched Volleyball from his hand, letting him back into his terrarium. He closed the doors and took the terrarium over to the desk and another awkward silence descended on the four.


	3. We Stay Up Late to Draw the Lines to Every Constellation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awww thanks for all the love my darlings.  
> Here, have the first hints of fluff - and from a very unexpected person ;)

Their first night together couldn’t be avoided.

Tsukishima had claimed the downstairs bathroom and was taking a shower for what seemed like hours. Yamaguchi was finishing a movie he was watching in the living room in his pyjamas – he didn’t seem awfully keen on coming up to bed, either. Kageyama was tired, and he decided he’d go to bed – or to the armchair. He slowly opened the doors to the bedroom, not wanting to wake Hinata in case he was asleep already – he worried the ginger would try and get Kageyama into bed. Even if Hinata didn’t want anything to do with either Alpha, he wanted them to get along, that much was clear. To him, this would all be like one big sleepover – but Kageyama couldn’t stomach the idea of sleeping with the three of them. Not yet.

Hinata wasn’t asleep. Through the crack in the doors, Kageyama saw Hinata, sitting up in the massive bed. He looked tiny amongst the pillows and covers. He was speaking on the phone, while flipping through the pages of a storybook. Kageyama realised he was reading. The story was Cinderella; even Kageyama knew that one. He was finishing up, reading the part about the wedding of Cinderella and her prince. Kageyama frowned, wondering who Hinata was reading to, till the ginger closed the book, ‘’the end. Time to sleep now, Natsu,’’ he listened to his little sister’s reply through the receiver, ‘’yeah, me too. I’ll be home soon, to see you. Be good, okay? I’ll call you tomorrow. Night, night,’’ he grinned at the reply, ‘’don’t let the bed bugs bite.’’ He put the phone down and looked up, ‘’why are you skulking in the doorway, Kageyama?’’

The raven flushed, caught red handed, and entered the bedroom, ‘’I didn’t want to interrupt,’’ he said, making for the bed. Hinata shifted, almost unnoticeably, to make more room but Kageyama took a pillow and his covers, ‘’was that your sister?’’

‘’Yeah. I read to her every night, at home,’’ Hinata’s brown eyes followed Kageyama’s movements, as the raven put the pillow on the arm of the armchair, ‘’aren’t you going to sleep in the bed?’’

‘’Nope,’’ Kageyama pulled his t-shirt off, and shuffled out of his jeans, hoping Hinata would leave it at that.

Thankfully, he did, ‘’kay.’’ Kageyama hesitated at how sad Hinata sounded, but then quickly finished undressing and, just in his boxers, crawled onto the armchair, pulling the covers on top of himself. Hinata tilted his head to the side, ‘’aren’t you going to be cold.’’

‘’If I do, I’m coming for your blanket,’’ Kageyama said, hoping to return some normalcy to their dynamic.

Hinata grinned. It worked, ‘’I’d like to see you try.’’ 

Yamaguchi came in, in a cute, long sleeve, matching striped pyjama, his hair mussed up. He sat down next to Hinata, crawling under his covers. Then he reached for Hinata, brushing his bright hair from his forehead in a casual gesture of affection, ‘’when’s your heat?’’

‘’Next few days,’’ Hinata unconsciously leaned into Yamaguchi’s hand, ‘’it’s always at the beginning of the month.’’ He glanced towards the doors, ‘’where’s Tsukishima?’’

Yamaguchi glanced away so Hinata wouldn’t see the expression on his face, ‘’Tsukki’s sleeping on the couch, in the living room.’’

‘’Oh…’’ Hinata tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. What had he been expecting, anyway? It wasn’t like he wanted to play happy families with his newly found mates; but he’d hoped they would…what, exactly? Hinata shook his head. He and Tsukishima, and Tsukishima and Kageyama had never been that close. Tsukishima was a hard person to be around, always guarded and sarcastic and cold, but it looked like Kageyama was the biggest enemy of this new arrangement they found themselves in.

‘’Can we kill the lights now?’’ Kageyama grumbled. Hinata didn’t notice when the raven had turned his back on the other two.

Yamaguchi got off the bed and clicked the light off. The bedroom was flooded in darkness, but the house stood in front of a lamp, so a gentle orange glow made the furniture in the room visible. Hinata tugged on his t-shirt, awkwardly, and reached for his phone, pretending to check his snapchat, waiting for Yamaguchi to settle down. He wanted to hug him, for some reason. Not in a romantic way, Hinata corrected himself in his head. He just…felt so abandoned, for some reason. Kageyama was distant, Tsukishima didn’t even want to be in the same room as them… and looking at Yamaguchi, his back to Hinata, his hair curling at the nape of his neck, cut off from the Omega by a blanket…

Hinata really turned to snapchat, trying to get these weird thoughts out of his head.

He must have dozed off sitting up because he startled awake, suddenly, with his neck and shoulders aching. Yamaguchi had rolled over, and was sleeping, eyes closed, mouth parted slightly, long-ish hair strewn across the pillow. Hinata pulled his knees up to his chest and laid his head on top of his knees, watching him for a while. If possible, he felt even worse than before.

Homesick.

He realised he was homesick. He wanted his own, small bed, not this monstrous thing that was half empty, he wanted Natsu coming into his room at night when she had a nightmare and his dad’s snoring that he could hear through the wall. Here, everything was quiet, Yamaguchi’s and Kageyama’s breathing doing nothing to disperse the silence. Feeling that if he stayed in the dark bedroom any longer he’d explode, Hinata slipped from the bed. He shivered in his t-shirt and shorts and padded out of the room. Touching the wall for guidance in the windowless staircase, Hinata carefully went down the stairs, past the living room where he spotted Tsukki’s curled form under his blanket, too tall to stretch out on the couch, and into the kitchen. He closed the doors quietly behind him and turned the lights on. The brightness was a relief.

He sat down heavily at the kitchen counter and begun shaking from the cold. It was the end of September and it was getting pretty cold, even with central heating. With a trembling hand, he touched his cheek, and realised it was wet. He was crying and he didn’t really feel like stopping. He sniffed and wiped his cheek with his wrist. He felt cold and numb and he really, really wanted to go home.

Without a warning the doors to the kitchen opened and an annoyed, bleary-eyed Tsukishima walked in, ‘’damn, Hinata, the light-‘’ he stopped dead and Hinata quickly turned his face away from the blond, wiping at his eyes frantically. He heard Tsukishima walking back into the living room but the doors didn’t close and in the next instance something heavy and warm was draped over Hinata’s shivering body – one of the extra blankets from the couch. Tsukishima’s soft voice reached him, ‘’you shouldn’t sit here without a blanket. Its cold,’’ he’d never heard Tsukishima speak so gently to anyone, but then again maybe he was just sleepy.

‘’Thanks,’’ Hinata’s voice was raw and the word sounded more like a sob than anything else.

He heard the kettle being turned on and pulled the blanket more tightly around him. The shaking had practically stopped by the time a steaming mug of tea was placed in front of him on the counter. It was the cup he’d taken from home, his favourite, the one that read ‘this is grown up shit’ – and grown up shit it was. Maybe Hinata wasn’t ready to have a mate – or three. He picked up the cup and took a tentative sip. Tsukishima made good tea. Hinata would have never pegged that as a talent of his. He held the cup in both hand, letting its warmth seep into his chilled fingers. Tsukishima drew back the chair opposite Hinata and sat down, leaning his cheek on his hand. He looked different without his glasses, less…scary.

 ‘’Sorry for waking you,’’ Hinata mumbled and took a gulp of tea.

‘’Homesick?’’ Tsukishima guessed. He was still using that soft voice. Hinata liked the sound of it.

‘’Yeah.’’

They sat in a comfortable silence as Hinata finished his tea. His toes were curling from the cold. Tsukishima took the cup out of his hand and placed it in the sink, then took Hinata’s hand. Despite the chill in the kitchen, Tsukishima’s large hand was warm and Hinata gratefully grasped onto it. He was sleepy and cold and he wanted to go to bed – but, perhaps for the first time since starting Highschool, he didn’t want Tsukishima to go. Yet the blond took him out of the kitchen, turning the lights off and pulled him all the way to the bottom of the stairs, ‘’up you go. Get some sleep,’’ he murmured, slipping the blanket off Hinata’s shoulders.

‘’Thanks,’’ Hinata mumbled, sleepy thanks to the tea.

‘’Don’t get used to it,’’ Tsukishima said with his characteristic smirk before turning and going back to his couch.

Hinata carefully made his way back up the stairs and into the bedroom. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi hadn’t stirred since he left but when he crawled into the bed, the latter murmured, ‘’where did you go?’’

‘’Kitchen. Was thirsty.’’ Hinata settled down with his back to Yamaguchi, under the cold covers that would quickly heat up, ‘’goodnight.’’

Suddenly Hinata was enveloped in heat, and he realised Yamaguchi had pulled him backwards, under his own covers, and wrapped an arm around her waist, nuzzling his cheek into the back of his neck, ‘’night…’’ he mumbled, already sleeping into oblivion. Hinata exhaled and relaxed in his mate’s arms. Here was the hug he needed a few hours prior – a little late.

But it was still a welcome comfort.


	4. All I Need is a Laugh and a Drink and a Couch and a Shrink

Around the third day of each month, Hinata got nervous – his heat was coming up, usually within the first week. And now October had rolled around and Hinata was full of nervous energy. It was a Saturday, and the past few days had been…civilised. In fact, he’d seen little of his mates at all. At school they had never hanged out together and now that didn’t change – not even he and Kageyama. The raven liked to sit on the roof by himself at lunch and Hinata had his friends from class; Yamaguchi and Tsukishima insisted on being around each other, like always, hoping things would go back to normal between them. There was nothing unusual about practice – the first time, everyone seemed to tiptoe around them. But soon enough, everyone forgot about the issue, engrossed in their practice. When they weren’t at school, they all seemed busy with their own lives. Hinata drove out in his van for his things and when he came back, only Yamaguchi was at home, typically. As his approaching heat loomed over him, Hinata found that the only time he wasn’t nervous was when he was around the beta.

Kageyama and Tsukishima made him nervous.

Sure, Kageyama went on jogs and to the gym so often Hinata barely saw him and Tsukishima was as distant and smug as always, but what would they be like when Hinata’s heat pheromones hit them? He hoped they wouldn’t react much. Besides, Yamaguchi would protect him, unaffected by his scent as a beta. Or so Hinata told himself, but Tsukishima was tall and, even though he was quite lanky, he was extremely strong, too. And Kageyama worked out, quite obviously if you looked at him. He’d overpower Yamaguchi easily, Hinata, too. Hinata was in a good shape himself – he went jogging and his arms weren’t as skinny as they used to be in the first year of highschool. But if they wanted to, both Tsukishima and Kageyama could pin him down, and together…

Yamaguchi had gone out to the grocery store an hour before; he was making large scale stock up in the fridge and bathroom. Hinata had tossed around on the bed for what felt like ages, too nervous to nap, or eat or read his volleyball magazines. He was out of heat medication and the only way to get it was with his parents…or with his mate. Because in this fucked up country his mate had to allow him to suppress his heat. Tsukishima was still at his old house – he’d have to ask Kageyama, who was watching a match in the living room. Dragging him away from his beloved sport would be the easier part.

Steeling himself, Hinata jumped off the bed and walked down the narrow stairs and into the living room. Kageyama sat with his legs apart, arms leaning on his thighs, fingers laced between them, leaning forward, eyes intent on the TV. Hinata himself would like nothing more than to watch the match but the last thing he needed was more nerves. He cleared his throat awkwardly, ‘’uh…Kageyama?’’ the raven didn’t move; he probably didn’t hear him in the first place. Hesitantly, Hinata touched his shoulder. The setter jumped, ‘’Kageyama.’’

He looked up at Hinata, ‘’what?’’ his eyes were already sliding back to the TV.

‘’Can you drive with me to the pharmacy?’’

Kageyama turned back to his match, ‘’you have a car. Go by yourself.’’

Hinata exhaled slowly, ‘’I can’t.’’

But Kageyama wasn’t listening, already concentrated on the set. Hinata gritted his teeth, embarrassed that he’d have to explain it to Kageyama. He snatched the remote from the floor and turned the TV off. Kageyama whipped to Hinata, eyes already flashing in his usual glare, ‘’the fuck?’’

‘’I can’t buy suppressants by myself and my heat is coming up.’’

Kageyama hated a few words. ‘Oikawa’ was one. ‘Heat’ was another. He stiffened, dark blue eyes narrowing, ‘’you’re an adult. They have to sell it to you.’’

Hinata glanced away, ‘’not if I’m mated. Then…either you or Tsukishima have to buy them for me, because you’re my alphas,’’ Hinata’s voice shook slightly with held back anger and shame, ‘’and I don’t get to decide if I want to suppress my heat. You get to choose if you want me docile and unable to resist or if you’ll allow me to take my meds.’’

Kageyama was quiet for a while. The air between them was taunt as a bow, ‘’that’s fucked up,’’ he said eventually.

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata’s laugh was forced.

‘’But isn’t that non-consensual?’’ Kageyama wasn’t looking at him, either.

‘’Big word,’’ Hinata tried to loosen the atmosphere.

‘’That’s against the law. It counts as rape,’’ Kageyama’s voice was getting quieter.

Hinata finally looked at him, ‘’not when it comes to mates.’’

Kageyama swallowed visibly and got up, ‘’come on, then.’’

Hinata’s shoulders sagged in relief and he went to the kitchen where he left his van keys on the windowsill. He wished Yamaguchi was an alpha, not a beta. There’d be no awkwardness with him about buying heat medicine; he’d get it. And he’d never force Hinata into anything…although, by the looks of it, Kageyama found the idea of forcing Hinata into things repulsive, too. They pulled their coats on in silence, laced their shoes and stepped out into the cool late morning air. Hinata made it to the van first, pulling himself up on the driver’s seat. Kageyama took the passenger’s seat. Out of the four of them, he was the only one without a license.

The ride towards the Miyagi shopping centre was tense. Hinata was so nervous he couldn’t pry his hands away from the steering wheel to turn the music on, and he couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t sound forced. So they drove in silence so awkward that Hinata almost wished he didn’t say anything and just suffered through his heat in silence, behind closed doors. But there was no turning back now.

Hinata exhaled in relief when they reached the shopping centre and Hinata found a place to park. They got out, made their way into the mall, and then into the small pharmacy…it was empty, save for the young woman behind the counter in an immaculate white uniform. As an Omega, Hinata could tell who was an alpha. Before, he felt a little tug towards every alpha he passed, something he eventually got used to after he presented. Now he felt nothing, even though he could tell the woman was only a beta. Kageyama stopped as soon as he entered the pharmacy, ‘’go on then,’’ he murmured out of the corner of his mouth.

Hinata sighed, ‘’I told you, you have to get it.’’

Kageyama frowned, ‘’what…even order?’’

‘’Yeah. Think of it as a mission.’’

Kageyama squared his shoulders but he still looked uncertain, ‘’okay. What am I getting?’’

‘’Aphasic, green box for omegas under twenty five.’’

‘’Okay,’’ Kageyama said again and walked up to the smiling worker. Hinata followed him slowly. He had long since come to understand that the people who put down omegas the most and wanted them to be there simply to fulfil their biological duty of keeping an alpha physically satisfied were people working in medicine. Hinata hated pharmacies.

‘’Hello. How can I help?’’ the woman asked, a smile plastered to her face.

‘’Um…can I have…Aphasic?’’

‘’What kind?’’ the woman didn’t miss a beat.

‘’Green?’’ Hinata had never heard Kageyama sound so uncertain. Usually when he didn’t know something, he kept his mouth shut and glared – unless it was to do with volleyball, in which case he was always ready to ask for help. Hinata almost reached out to squeeze his hand to let him know he was doing well.

‘’Of course,’’ the woman continued to smile as she reached under the counter and produced a piece of paper filled with boxes, ‘’please fill this in, sir.’’

Kageyama glanced at Hinata, who passed him the pen attached to a chain in the counter in silence. He’d seen his mother fill the paper in for him countless times. Kageyama took the pen and hesitantly turned to the paper. He filled in the name and age of his Omega, paused over ‘birth date’ for a few seconds, but filled that in without prompt, too. Then came the harder questions; ‘heat expected in __ __’ and ‘medicine bought on __ __’. Kageyama glanced at Hinata again, ‘’early October’’ Hinata said automatically, ‘’October third.’’

Kageyama filled in the boxes in order. He then circled options; medicine bought by a parent, (mate), older sibling or carer; heat expected to be spent together, (separately); buyer is (alpha), beta, omega; brand of suppressant Antithroe, Paroxysm delta+, (Aphasic), Succor; omega aged 11-14, 15-17, (18-24), 25-30, 30+. Having filled in the form, Kageyama awkwardly handed it back to the smiling woman, who slipped it into the cabinet behind her and searched the high shelf stacked with medicine behind her, finally passing Kageyama a white box with a green stripe that read ‘APHASIC – INSTANT PAIN RELIEF WITHOUT SCENT SURPRESSION FOR OMEGAS UNDER 25’ no pretty promises, pills that taste of candy or anything other than straight, cold facts. Hinata slid a tenner over the counter and they walked out, fast.

They walked up to the van but to Hinata’s surprise, Kageyama didn’t get inside, instead leaning on the doors of the driver’s doors so that Hinata couldn’t get in, either, ‘’so,’’ he said, eyes calculating, like he was thinking about something, ‘’how are your meds different then others.’’

Hinata felt uncomfortable under Kageyama’s suddenly curious gaze – before he could barely talk about it, ‘’it’s like any medication. Like pain killers. There’s different types,’’ Hinata shrugged.

‘’what does…’’ Kageyama’s brows furrowed as he tried to remember the phrase, ‘’pain relief without scent suppression mean?’’

Hinata sighed. He didn’t feel like explaining it to Kageyama but he didn’t want his heat to be on his mind, either, ‘’there’s different meds for heats. Aphasic stops the pain that omegas get without their mate around during heats but leaves…the other things. Like pheromone release that works on alphas,’’ and the mad desire to have sex with someone.

Kageyama’s face relaxed, ‘’you actually sound intelligent for once.’’

‘’Unlike you!’’ Hinata said, offended, even though he _did_ read all that on Wikipedia.

‘’So how come you don’t get something that stops the scent?’’

‘’I get really painful heats,’’ Hinata said as casually as he could, ‘’and Succor is used mostly on children, so it’s not intensive enough to kill the pain. Antithroe would be best, because if you take it, it’s like you don’t have a heat at all, but I’m allergic to two ingredients in it, so I can’t have it. And Paroxysm Delta +  is for the pain…but it heightens the desire to…you know. And the scent is more intense-’’

‘’Got it,’’ Kageyama said quickly, handing Hinata the meds.

Hinata put them in his pocket, and Kageyama moved out of the way but before Hinata opened the doors to the van he spotted something. He grabbed Kageyama by the shirt before he could walk around the van and yanked him down to his eye level, so he could look at what Hinata was looking at, ‘’you thinking what I’m thinking?’’ he asked with a grin.

‘’Let’s go,’’ Kageyama freed himself and started towards the sports shop.

*~*~*  


Yamaguchi came home, put down the keys to his mini next to the keys of Hinata’s van and took off his coat. He peered into the living room, which was dark and empty. He knew Tsukki was going to get home after him, but where were Hinata and Kageyama? The omega was home, at least, because his van was parked on the curb, ‘’Hinata! Kageyama! I’m home!’’ he called, and got no reply. Frowning, he went upstairs to the bedroom. It was empty. Yamaguchi sighed – where had they gone? He walked up to the window.

They were outside, of course. Kageyama was setting and Hinata was zipping around after what looked like a new volleyball. Yamaguchi smiled. Soon it would be too dark for them to play. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen and fixed up a simple supper of ham and tomato sandwiches, which he set on the kitchen table. Then he ventured outside into the garden, ‘’guys, supper!’’

Hinata managed to catch the ball that would have hit him in the face in his hands, inches from his nose, and tossed it to Kageyama, ‘’oh, Yamaguchi! You’re home!’’ he said, skipping over to his mate. Yamaguchi opened his arms and caught the smaller boy in them. Hinata snuggled into his warm neck. He was chilled from the garden, despite running around. The sweat had cooled down, chilling his skin further.

Yamaguchi sighed, pulling away, ‘’why aren’t you wearing your coat?’’ he slipped his fingers under the hood of Hinata’s jumper, resting it against the warm back of his neck, ‘’new hoodie?’’

‘’Yeah!’’ Hinata danced away from him and showed him the back. It had ‘VOLLEYBALL’ printed on the back, with the ‘O’ being a ball. The jumper was black with a blood red zip and, as Yamaguchi glanced at Kageyama making his way to them, he realised he wore the exact same jumper.

‘’You guys got matching hoodies?’’ he asked, surprised.

‘’Yeah!’’ Hinata said again, bouncing up and down, ‘’they were on discount and they’re so cool, right?’’

Yamaguchi smiled affectionately, ‘’yeah. Really cool,’’ he said, brushing Hinata’s sweaty hair off his forehead, ‘’come eat.’’ He let Hinata go in first and glanced back at Kageyama as he entered the warm house, ‘’had a good game?’’

‘’Hinata’s still too slow on his receiving,’’ Kageyama said with all the seriousness of an eighteen year old, ‘’he only uses his speed for spiking.’’

‘’That’s because I like spiking!’’ Hinata called. He’d already taken his seat at the table, and his mouth was full of sandwich, ‘’receiving is…meh.’’

‘’You can’t only put effort into the aspects of volleyball you like,’’ Kageyama furrowed his brows as he pulled back his chair, ‘’we need your 100% in the battlefield.’’

Yamaguchi sat down and smiled, wrapping his chilled fingers around his steaming teacup, ‘’as serious about volleyball as ever, I see.’’

‘’Of course,’’ Kageyama looked hilariously offended, ‘’you shouldn’t take it lightly either, Yamaguchi. We’re gonna need our pinch server in the spring tournament.’’

Yamaguchi glanced down at the dark brown liquid in his cup, ‘’actually…’’ he found it harder to look at his mates than he thought he would, ‘’I’m…going to quit school.’’

Hinata’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped to the floor. Kageyama stood violently, and his chair went crashing to the floor, ‘’you can’t! The team needs you!’’

The front doors of the house, leading to the kitchen, opened and Tsukki walked inside. He was paler than he was in the summer, and the tip of his nose was reddened adorably, ‘’what’s the noise about? I can hear you down the street.’’

‘’Yamaguchi is quitting school!’’ Hinata blurted the accusation.

Tsukishima’s eyes turned serious as he turned to the beta, ‘’that’s stupid,’’ he said bluntly, ‘’if you quit now, you won’t go to university.’’

‘’I know,’’ Yamaguchi said quietly.

Hinata was on his feet now, too, ‘’tell him, Tsukishima!’’ he said. By the tone of his voice, Tsukishima knew Hinata couldn’t understand Yamaguchi’s decision, ‘’he can’t quit school and leave the team!’’

‘’If we don’t have a pinch server-‘’

Yamaguchi stood, as suddenly and violently as Kageyama. His fists were clenched, trembling slightly as he looked up at his mates, ‘’I’ve already handed in the form because, in case you haven’t noticed, someone needs to work,’’ he snapped. Hinata had never heard him snap before – Tsukishima had. Once. ‘’and thankfully we don’t live in a world where my alphas can decide these things for me.’’ He stormed out of the kitchen before Hinata could reach out for him.

*~*~*

Hinata didn’t know if Yamaguchi wanted to sleep next to him, but he really didn’t have anywhere else to go. Kageyama was occupying what was quickly becoming his armchair, Tsukishima was already asleep on the couch. Hinata, who had taken a shower last in the downstairs bathroom, hovered by the doors of the bedroom, finally closing them softly. He glanced at Kageyama in the armchair, his face illuminated by a patch of moonlight. His brows were furrowed – he was probably dreaming about volleyball. Hinata gingerly hung his hoodie on the peg attached to the wardrobe, next to Kageyama’s, and slipped into the massive bed, like a child, from the bottom, burrowing through the covers till his head popped out at the top.

Yamaguchi’s brown eyes were wide open.

‘’I’ve made my decision,’’ he said with a soft, placating smile, ‘’don’t fight me on it, kay?’’ Hinata felt suddenly sad. Practice without Yamaguchi would feel…empty, even though a lot of people dropped out in the fourth year to do just that – work for their mates. And there was a lot of mates in this house that needed to eat, ‘’don’t look at me like that,’’ Yamaguchi’s voice was quiet. He wasn’t smiling anymore. He reached out, tucking Hinata’s finger hair behind his ear, ‘’it’s for the best. I’m not that good at volleyball any-‘’

‘’Don’t do that,’’ Hinata whispered heatedly, scooting closer, ‘’don’t talk about yourself like that. You’re a great pinch server and you’re as good a Captain as Ennoshita was, before you.’’

‘’Sorry,’’ Yamaguchi smiled again, ‘’but you’re going to be a great Captain, too.’’

Hinata’s eyes saddened again and Yamaguchi sighed. He’d gotten so much more mature over the years and he’d filled in, too. Hinata’s eyes settled on his freckles; he couldn’t look Yamaguchi in the eyes. He felt something soft press to his forehead and he realised he was giving him a kiss; the first kiss he’d gotten from one of his mates. His eyes fluttered shut but too soon Yamaguchi pulled back, ‘’I didn’t mean to make you sad.’’

Hinata swallowed, thickly, ‘’I’m going to miss having you around at practice, Captain.’’

Yamaguchi smiled again and gently pushed against Hinata’s arm to get him to turn over, ‘’you have till Friday to enjoy being vice-Captain, Hinata,’’ he said, wrapping his arms around the ginger. Hinata settled against him, glad that after Friday, he’d still have Yamaguchi around, even if he wasn’t at school anymore.


	5. This Is It, Boys, This Is War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoo, thanks for all the love, kids!   
> To everyone volunteering to be my beta - ayee, cheers, guys! But I do update really sporadically and spontaniously, so it would take much longer to post, I imagine. I know my writing leaves a lot to be desired, and I have mistakes here and there because I don't go over my work (I just cba honestly, I'm lazy like that xD) but I'm glad so many of you like it <3

‘’Guys, I need to talk to you for a second,’’ practice on Friday was coming to an end, and Yamaguchi figured now was the best time to drop the bomb. Ukai, who knew beforehand that Yamaguchi was dropping out, gave an encouraging nod, and Yachi, who was also informed, clutched her notepad till her knuckles were white. For four years she, Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, Kageyama and Hinata had been the ‘first years’ together. Now Yamaguchi was going and it was leaving an imprint on everyone. The first, second and third years tossed their volleyballs into the box and sat down on the floor in front of Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi angled his head, urging Hinata to come stand by him, which he did. Tsukishima wasn’t looking at him, interested in the cracks on the floor, while Kageyama fiddled with his fingers. Yamaguchi took a deep breath, ‘’today is my last day at school.’’

The group exploded with noise, till Yamaguchi put his hand up to silence them.

‘’I’ve decided I’m going to quit school and get a job. That means I’m not going to be able to be your Captain anymore,’’ he smiled sadly at the team – they all looked shaken up, ‘’I’ll still come to matches, though. To cheer you on.’’

Now the team was deadly silent and that was almost worse. One of the first years finally raised his eyes, ‘’so who is going to be Captain now?’’

‘’Hinata, of course,’’ Yamaguchi motioned to the ginger next to him with a smile, ‘’he’s more than capable and he’s been a good vice-Captain. I know you all agree.’’

The team nodded, some uncertain, still unbelieving that their Captain was abandoning them. And Yamaguchi realised there was nothing else to say – so he did the only thing he could at this point. He dismissed the team. Once they were gone, and he was alone, he set about cleaning the gym, taking the time to gather his thoughts. Once he was sure no one was left in the changing room, he left the gym and went to get changed. Even before he opened the doors, he caught their scents – Tsukki, Hinata and Kageyama were waiting for him. He pushed the doors open.

‘’Finally,’’ Tsukki had a vaguely annoyed look in his eyes, ‘’I thought we’d have to go without you,’’ ever since they started living together, Yamaguchi and Hinata took turns driving the four of them to school, as it saved gas money. Sometimes Tsukki drove, since he didn’t have his own car. Yamaguchi remembered how at the end of their third year they’d spent hours online, trying to find a car that Tsukishima liked. They didn’t find any. Now…it felt like Yamaguchi barely saw Tsukki, which was ridiculous since they lived together. But now Tsukki kept his distance to him, like he did with everyone else. And that hurt.

‘’Sorry.’’ Yamaguchi tried to sound casual as he pulled his t-shirt off for the last time, glancing fondly at the number ‘1’, ‘’Hinata, we’re going to have to order you another one.’’

Hinata snatched the shirt from him, almost protectively, ‘’I can wear that one. You’re just a bit bigger than me.’’

Yamaguchi smiled. The more he grew apart from Tsukki, the closer he grew to Hinata. Hinata was easy to love, even as a friend. Yamaguchi turned back to his things and pulled off his shorts, folding them neatly and leaving them on the bench – Hinata immediately snatched them up, too. They were more or less the same width in waist, but the material would reach to Hinata’s knees, most likely. It was still warm enough not to wear jerseys, and Yamaguchi’s was back at home. He got to keep it, at least. Even so, Tsukishima was in his usual cream coloured jumper. He was tugging on loose strings from the sleeve, waiting for Yamaguchi to get dressed. Or making sure not to look at Yamaguchi in just his underwear, even though they’d seen each other like that countless times.

The now-former Captain pulled his uniform on quickly and undid the little ponytail keeping his hair back, running his hand through his hair. He grabbed his bag, pulled out his keys and turned to his mates, ‘’let’s go home.’’

*~*~*

Hinata noticed it on the drive back home – Tsukishima and Kageyama were tense as fuck. As he drove, he glanced at Tsukishima, who usually sat up front since he was so tall. He had leaned his face on his hand and was staring out of the window, but the other hand, resting on his thigh, was fisted, he bumped his leg up and down constantly and didn’t look at Hinata once. Kageyama was so tensed up in the backseat Hinata didn’t think he was breathing.

They got home.

Kageyama went upstairs to study. Tsukishima put the TV on. Under the pretence that he was helping Yamaguchi make dinner, Hinata stuck close to the beta. He knew why the other two were so tensed up. He had tried to convince himself it was because Yamaguchi had quit school, but he knew it was something different.

‘’Hinata.’’

Hinata realised the taller boy had been trying to get his attention for a while now. The vegetables he’d been dicing lay abandoned next to the knife, as Yamaguchi had reached out to tilt Hinata’s face up, ‘’sorry,’’ Hinata said sheepishly.

Yamaguchi brushed his thumb against Hinata’s chin, searching his eyes, ‘’what’s wrong?’’

Hinata bit his lip and took Yamaguchi’s hand away from his face, cradling it between both of his. Even though Yamaguchi was still eighteen and Hinata was already nineteen, he was so much bigger. Both Kageyama and Tsukishima towered over Yamaguchi, but compared to Hinata, he looked big. His large hand made both of Hinata’s look small, ‘’I think Kageyama and Tsukishima are getting their…you know…’’

Yamaguchi understood immediately, ‘’they’re getting their ruts, because your heat is close.’’

Hinata looked down. He hated acting all weak and pathetic and…well, omega-like, but he had to tell someone, and Yamaguchi wouldn’t laugh at him, like Tsukishima would, ‘’I’m scared,’’ he whispered, ‘’I’ve never had my heat around alphas. Mom kept me at home.’’

Yamaguchi smiled gently, freeing his hand and pulling Hinata in by the waist; the older boy looked surprised until Yamaguchi leaned their foreheads together. It worked magic, calming Hinata down, ‘’I’m here, aren’t I?’’ was all he said, and Hinata relaxed. So what if Yamaguchi was only a beta, and, in the worst case, he’d have to fight two alphas? He had someone firmly on his side and Hinata wasn’t all that powerless, either. Four years of hardcore volleyball made him pretty strong. For the first time since he moved into their new house, Hinata felt the urge to kiss someone. He stood on his tiptoes, tilted his head and pressed a lingering kiss to Yamaguchi’s cheek.

‘’I’m really glad you are,’’ he whispered.

Yamaguchi brushed their noses together, eyes meeting Hinata’s. Neither looked away, neither felt awkward – right until Tsukishima came into the kitchen, clearing his throat. Yamaguchi dropped his hands from Hinata’s waist and stepped away, turning to Tsukishima, who, looking a little uncomfortable, ‘’when’s dinner.’’

The former Captain glanced at the cutting board, but didn’t pick up his knife, ‘’in a bit. I need to talk to you. Kageyama, too. Hinata, go get him.’’

‘’Yes, mom,’’ Hinata said with a grin, squeezing past Tsukishima, crossing the living room and climbing up the narrow stairs. He opened the doors to the bedroom slowly, in case Kageyama was taking a nap.

He wasn’t.

Hinata stared, surprised, at Kageyama, who sat in his armchair, knitting, ‘’um…what are you doing?’’

Kageyama didn’t look up from his needle work, ‘’what does it look like?’’

Hinata couldn’t hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing, ‘’you’re _knitting_?’’

‘’Yeah. Do you have a problem with it?’’ Kageyama snapped. He looked both hurt, angry and embarrassed, ‘’for your information, knitting helps with motor neuron, that would stop me from playing volleyball. So when we’re older and you’re the one unable to play because you don’t practice, I’ll be the one laughing.’’

The grin fell from Hinata’s face and he put his hands up in surrender, ‘’jheez, okay, sorry.’’

‘’B-besides,’’ Kageyama was bright red in the face, his voice grumpy, ‘’I started as a kid so I just didn’t stop…’’

Hinata felt bad for laughing, ‘’hey,’’ he said softly, ‘’it’s fine. You do you. I just…I’m surprised. You don’t look like the type to knit.’’ Hinata came closer, ‘’what are you making.’’

But Kageyama had already retreated into the shell Hinata had to drag him out of many times over the years, and he just shrugged, ‘’did you need anything?’’

‘’Yamaguchi wants to talk to all of us. In the living room.’’

Kageyama pulled out an old shoe box from under the wardrobe and put his needle work inside, closing the lid and hiding the box back under the wardrobe. They made their way downstairs. Yamaguchi was standing. Tsukishima was sitting on the edge of the huge, square couch. Hinata automatically gravitated towards Yamaguchi while Kageyama hung back by the doors.

‘’Hinata’s heat is coming up,’’ he said seriously, ‘’and we need to figure out how we’re going to go about it. Since Hinata never spent his heat with an alpha, much less two, and you guys had much, much weaker ruts without being mated, and to an omega at that, we can’t just assume everything’s going to be fine when we don’t know how you two will behave,’’ he said to Tsukishima and Kageyama, ‘’Hinata has his suppressants, but they only block pain. The scent will be there, and we all heard enough on TV about how alphas react to that, especially during the first few times.’’ He turned to Hinata, ‘’I think it’s safe to say you don’t want to be mated right now,’’ he deadpanned.

Hinata flushed, ‘’or ever.’’

Yamaguchi nodded, ‘’alright. That means, as soon as your heat starts, you go to the bedroom and stay there. I think it would be best if Tsukishima and Kageyama slept on the couch. It’s big enough and it’s only going to be around three days. Right, Hinata?’’

Hinata nodded and the two alphas looked at each other, before agreeing.

Yamaguchi exhaled slowly, ‘’if everything goes right, we won’t have any problems. It might be a bit uncomfortable,’’ he shrugged, ‘’but we’ll deal with it.’’

Hinata scooted closer to Yamaguchi and took his hand, ‘’you’ll stay with me, though, right?’’ he whispered, quietly enough so the other two didn’t hear.

Yamaguchi bumped their foreheads together, ‘’of course.’’

Hinata felt a little less stressed about his heat.  


	6. Fear is Ever Changing and Evolving

Tsukishima beeped the horn in front of school, rapping his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently. Today there was no practice, but Kageyama had remedy lessons after school and Tsukishima had stayed behind to study. Yamaguchi hadn’t found a job yet so he borrowed his mini to Tsukishima who felt obliged to pick up Kageyama from school. After all, their new house was further than all of theirs (except Hinata’s, who lived in the next town over). Annoyed that Kageyama was late, he raised his hand to beep and realised what he was doing. The remedy lessons had finished maybe two minutes ago; Kageyama wouldn’t even be down the stairs yet. He sighed and put his hand slowly on the steering wheel, closing his eyes briefly. He was acting impatiently and impulsively because he was having his rut. It had never been this bad. Usually he just snapped at people if they drove him to it and wanked a lot. Now he couldn’t wank, because he had three other guys in the house, and his annoyance seemed heightened…

Someone knocked on the window and Tsukishima quickly unlocked the doors. He forgot things easily, too. Like the fact that he had locked the doors. Kageyama slid into the passenger seat, immediately pulling his seatbelt over his chest, ‘’thanks for waiting,’’ he said automatically.

Tsukishima didn’t acknowledge him, pulling out smoothly and out onto the road. From the way Kageyama was sitting, he could tell he was tense as well.

*~*~*

Yamaguchi came home and put the grocery bag on the kitchen counter. He wasn’t working yet, so he had to economise the money the government gave them wisely, ‘’Hinata, I’m home!’’ there was a pleasant smell in the air, something sharp and homey, like cinnamon and expensive deodorant and something else. Had Hinata baked something? Yamaguchi highly doubted it. The kitchen had become his domain quickly enough. So maybe he cleaned the house with something? No, cleaning wasn’t in Hinata’s nature, either. Now feeling slightly worried, Yamaguchi left the shopping on the counter, ‘’Hinata?’’ he called, worried, stepping into the living room.

Hinata was curled up on the floor.

Yamaguchi inhaled sharply and flew across the room, falling to his knees by Hinata. He seemed conscious, but his eyes were clenched shut, his face shining with sweat, hair dishevelled. He was shivering, knees brought up to his chest, arms wrapped around himself. That faint, pleasant smell that was in the kitchen was intense here, and Yamaguchi inhaled deeply before sighing, ‘’oh, Hinata. You got your heat.’’

Hinata opened his brown eyes. They were hazy and glistening with unshed tears. Yamaguchi realised Hinata had tried to go and get his medicine, but collapsed from the pain before he reached the kitchen, ‘’Yamaguchi…’’ he was clearly relieved that Yamaguchi found him first.

Yamaguchi’s brain was working quickly. He had to get Hinata out of the living room before the others came back, and he needed to give him his medicine. Shushing his whimpers softly, Yamaguchi hooked an arm under Hinata’s curled knees, the other he wrapped around his back and lifted him neatly off the floor. Slowly, Yamaguchi carried Hinata upstairs. The ginger curled into him, hiding his face, till Yamaguchi lay him down gently on the bed. Hinata grabbed the front of his t-shirt, desperately, when he tried to withdraw. Yamaguchi wrapped his fingers around Hinata’s hand calmingly. With him around, Hinata seemed to be in less pain. It was probably thanks to being mates, but Yamaguchi was only a beta, so without the suppressants, it would be hard to calm Hinata down…or without an alpha, but that wasn’t an option.

‘’I’ll get your meds and be right back, alright?’’ Yamaguchi brushed Hinata’s hair from his forehead and pressed a kiss there, ‘’breathe, Hinata. I’ll be right back.’’

Hinata reluctantly let Yamaguchi’s shirt go and curled in on himself again. Yamaguchi pounded down the stairs as fast as he could, slid into the living room and into the kitchen, where he threw open the cupboard and found the Aphasic. Before the minute was up, he was back in the bedroom, with a bottle of water in tow. Hinata was able to sit up by himself, wincing, with Yamaguchi around, and gratefully took two pills, chasing them down with the water. Yamaguchi left the bottle on the nightstand, ‘’how long till it takes effect?’’

‘’Ten to fifteen minutes,’’ Hinata murmured.

Yamaguchi smiled at him affectionately, ‘’want a blanket?’’

Hinata shook his head and settled down, arms wrapped around his stomach, ‘’too hot…’’ he murmured, closing his eyes, ‘’stay.’’

‘’I’ll just write the other two a note not to come up, when they come back,’’ Yamaguchi said quietly, pressing another kiss to Hinata’s forehead and venturing back downstairs.

Before his foot even hit the last step, he knew something was wrong and when he came into the living room he found two very aroused, very dangerous looking alphas sniffing the air, tense as a guitar strings. Yamaguchi swallowed thickly as the boys looked at him. Their eyes were glowing faintly, Tsukki’s gold, Kageyama’s blue, ‘’h-hey guys, wh-‘’ he inhaled sharply and took a step back as Tsukki walked up to him and yanked him forward by his wrist. In the next instance Yamaguchi felt his nose at the nape of his neck, breathing in. Then he was being released, Tsukishima’s attention diverted elsewhere. Yamaguchi understood that they had caught Hinata’s scent – and he smelled like Hinata all over. But he wasn’t the source of the smell and they would keep looking till they found it. Already, Tsukishima was walking towards the doors leading into the corridor and the stairs…to Hinata.

Yamaguchi stood in front of the open doorway, blocking the way, ‘’guys, we agreed you’d stay here. So just…’’ he threw his hand out, shoving Tsukki back a step, ‘ _’stay here_.’’ His fear was spiking. He could take Kageyama, maybe. But not Tsukishima. And he couldn’t take both of them at once. But he wouldn’t move from the doors. Tsukki seemed to sense that because he growled, baring his teeth, and he really did look feral, especially with the glowing eyes. In the next instance Yamaguchi was on the floor in the corridor and he realised Tsukki had shoved him. He’d banged his head on the floor painfully and by the time his vision cleared Tsukki and Kageyama were already atop the stairs, barging into the bedroom.

*~*~*

As soon as Yamaguchi left, the pain returned fully. Hinata whimpered into his pillow, clutching his stomach. He forced himself to breathe, like Yamaguchi had said. He kept telling himself that the meds would kick in soon, and that Yamaguchi would come back even sooner. Then he heard the commotion, loud voices and something hitting the floor with a thud, then two pairs of legs bounding up the stairs and he knew Kageyama and Tsukishima were home before they even barged into the room.

He saw the glowing eyes before he realised the pain was gone, a dull thud already fading. His vision cleared and he inhaled sharply. Whatever control the two usually had was completely gone, and their actions were brought down to instinct only. And their instinct right then was to… Hinata scrambled backwards, but before his back even hit the wall, Tsukki was there, behind him, his large hands easily grabbing hold of Hinata’s wrists, keeping them at shoulder height as if in surrender. Hinata tried to yank them out of his grip. Tsukishima growled a warning, his chest vibrating against Hinata’s back. Kageyama was crawling onto the bed and Hinata’s attention concentrated on him. First he had to get rid of Kageyama, then he would think about how to escape the blond.

But it was easier said than done. Without the use of his hands, Hinata had his legs. His first instinct was to kick, but Kageyama caught his ankle and crawled in between his legs without so much as a blink. Hinata felt the press of his hard on against his and then he was caged between the two alphas. His heart stuttered with fear – it was happening. They were doing it, but Hinata wasn’t ready, especially to do it with both of them. Every article, video and pamphlet he ever read about alpha violence towards omegas came back, forcing their way into his head. He begun struggling, and the fact that neither man budged made him all the more terrified.

Tsukishima gave another growl, his fingers tightening on Hinata’s wrist, till it hurt. So they could hurt him – and they undoubtedly would. Tsukishima attacked Hinata’s neck with harsh kisses and bites. Hinata whimpered and curled in on himself again, withdrawing his legs. Kageyama growled, too, grabbing his ankles again and forcing his legs apart till he was firmly pressed against him again – only then did Tsukishima release his wrists, one hand on Hinata’s waist, the other on his thigh. Hinata put his hands up against Kageyama’s chest as a last defence, ‘’Kageyama, stop,’’ he whispered, tears gathering in his eyes, ‘’stop, please, you said you wouldn’t…’’

Kageyama forced his hands away from his chest, thrusting his hands under Hinata’s shirt, pressing them to his heated skin. The first tear rolled down Hinata’s cheek and he stopped fighting. Both alphas seemed to pause at that. Then, as if his acceptance of their desire had flipped a switch, Tsukishima’s kisses grew slower. He alternated between quick butterfly kisses and slow, long kisses, his tongue pressing marks into his skin. Slowly, Kageyama took the hands he had pushed away and put them on his shoulders, giving Hinata purchase, one hand returning under his t-shirt, the other cupping his face. His eyes were still glowing, maybe even brighter than before, and they scared Hinata. He turned his face away, shaking, but Kageyama grasped his chin, turning it back to face him. He wiped a tear that had just escaped Hinata’s eyes off his cheek, pressing the softest of kisses to the tip of Hinata’s nose.

His hand was warm under Hinata’s t-shirt. Hinata held his breath as Kageyama explored his stomach. Then he went higher, fingers pressing down on one of his nipples. Hinata flinched, trying hard not to fight back – that seemed to spark the violence in the two alphas. Kageyama’s hand went even higher, till he could put the tips of his fingers under Hinata’s chin and pull his face closer. Kageyama tilted his head, glowing eyes fluttering shut. Hinata inhaled sharply, realising Kageyama would be the first guy he ever kissed. He had secretly hoped it would be Yamaguchi, and just the thought that he wouldn’t be the one to choose made anger spark amongst his fear. And when Tsukishima’s fingers slid over his thigh and cupped his front, he didn’t even stop the reflex to shove Kageyama away.

Both the alphas growled at the same time, just as the doors were slammed open. Hinata eyes widened as Yamaguchi came running in – with a shotgun, which he pointed at Tsukishima, ‘’let him go,’’ he ground out, taking the safety off, ‘’and don’t think I won’t fucking shoot you,’’ Tsukishima growled once more, rising to the challenge and Hinata felt himself be released completely, ‘’Hinata, come here,’’ Yamaguchi said quietly.

Hinata didn’t have to be told twice. He bound off the bed, jumping around Kageyama, poised to jump and Tsukishima, still growling at Yamaguchi, till he reached Yamaguchi’s side and finally felt safe – and not just because of the gun, ‘’go outside. Slowly.’’ Yamaguchi murmured, eyes flicking between the two alphas. Hinata stepped outside as slowly as he could. Both alphas made a movement as if they were to go after him, but Yamaguchi stepped forward with the shotgun. Their instinct to survive overpowered their instinct to breed and they didn’t move. Once Yamaguchi heard Hinata run down the stairs, he pointed the gun at Kageyama, ‘’you,’’ he snarled. He was pissed beyond belief, ‘’in the bathroom.’’ Kageyama didn’t move. Yamaguchi cocked the shotgun, ‘’ _now_.’’

Keeping his eyes filled with hate on Yamaguchi, Kageyama got off the bed and slowly walked into the bathroom. As soon as the doors closed, Yamaguchi turned the key in the lock – perhaps it was there so terrified mates could lock their alphas inside during heats. As soon as Yamaguchi took one hand off the shotgun to lock the doors, Tsukishima bounded for him, but Yamaguchi was faster. He raised the gun just as Tsukki reached him, pressing the barrel to his chest, ‘’downstairs,’’ he said calmly.

By the time Yamaguchi got Tsukki to the ground floor, Hinata was gone. Yamaguchi forced Tsukishima into the bathroom downstairs and locked the doors. Only then did he exhale, lowering the shotgun with shaking hands. He stared at the bathroom doors with dread. He had no doubt that the two would get out within minutes, probably breaking down the doors, but it would give the other two enough time. Yamaguchi backed off and ran down to the kitchen, snatching the keys to the mini off the windowsill. Hinata was waiting for him in front of the house. He looked shaken up, his eyes filled with tears, hair mussed up. When he saw Yamaguchi, he burst into tears.

‘’Shhh, shhh,’’ Yamaguchi whispered. He wanted nothing more than to embrace his crying mate, but they didn’t have time, ‘’come on, we need to go,’’ he pulled Hinata away from the house, and they both got into the mini. In seconds they were speeding away from the house, and the sex crazed alphas. As they drove away, Hinata became more and more hysterical, shaking and curling in on himself, till Yamaguchi couldn’t take it anymore. Any other person would probably get angry with him, but not Yamaguchi. He parked on the curb and undid both their seatbelts, pulling Hinata into his lap, wrapping his arms around him.

‘’I’m…sorry…’’ Hinata managed between sobs. Already he was calming down.

‘’For what?’’ Yamaguchi kissed the top of his head, ‘’what happened wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t their fault, either. The first time is always the worst, and younger alphas find it harder to control themselves. It will be better next time,’’ he promised but Hinata clung to him.

‘’I don’t want to be around them with my heat anymore,’’ he whispered.

‘’I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you,’’ Yamaguchi murmured, tilting his head up so he could wipe his cheeks with his sleeve, ‘’I’ll do better next time.’’

Hinata gave a tiny smile, ‘’but you did protect me,’’ he whispered, glancing at the shotgun on the backseat of the mini.

Yamaguchi’s gentle fingers descended on Hinata’s neck, ‘’did they…’’ he brushed his thumb against the kiss marks Tsukishima had left all over the back and side of Hinata’s neck. They would take days to fade.

Hinata shook his head and pressed his hand to Yamaguchi’s, keeping it there, covering the marks. They stayed embraced for a while, Yamaguchi stroking his hand up and down Hinata’s back, till he finally pulled the seatbelt across both of them, putting his hands on the steering wheel. Hinata hugged him tighter, ‘’where are you going?’’

‘’Somewhere where you will be safe,’’ Yamaguchi assured.

*~*~*

‘’Yamaguchi!’’ Suga was surprised to see his former _kohai_ at his doors, after dark, ‘’what are you doing here?’’ Suga had found out his mate was Daichi a few days before finishing their third year, when Tsukishima and Kageyama and Hinata and Yamaguchi found the concept of mates ridiculous. When they came back for their fourth, they were a happy couple. Yamaguchi knew two things – that they had both gone to university, and where they lived.

‘’We had a bit of a problem with a pair of alphas,’’ Yamaguchi said glumly, and Suga gasped when he saw Hinata behind him, still looking shaken up, ‘’is it okay if we stay here for a while?’’

‘’Of course,’’ Suga stepped back to let them into their cute, government issued house, ‘’Daichi!’’

Yamaguchi looked at Suga. He hadn’t changed much. At all, really. But that was to be expected, since Yamaguchi saw him often enough; at practice games and tournaments, bumped into him at the shops… Daichi came into the corridor and his eyes widened, ‘’what happened?’’ he asked immediately. As a mated alpha, he felt no pull towards other omegas, especially ones already mated.

‘’As you probably heard, us two and…Kageyama and Tsukishima are all mated. It’s weird but that’s not the point.’’

‘’Hinata got his first heat around them,’’ Suga guessed. He could probably smell the heat on him.

‘’Yeah and they kind of lost it,’’ Yamaguchi admitted. He didn’t expand but both his senpais nodded understandingly.

‘’Stay as long as you need,’’ Suga said kindly.

‘’Come, we’ll arrange a futon for you,’’ Daichi said to Yamaguchi. The beta pressed a gentle kiss to Hinata’s forehead.

‘’Be right back,’’ he assured, and followed Daichi out through a doors leading to the living room.

Gently, Suga reached for Hinata and took his hand, leading him to the staircase. They sat on the steps, ‘’you’re shaking,’’ he said quietly.

‘’It was really scary,’’ Hinata admitted.

Suga smiled sadly, ‘’the first time is always scary.’’

Hinata flinched, realising he was being insensitive. Suga was an omega himself, Daichi an alpha… and he didn’t have a beta to protect him in case, ‘’did he…’’

‘’Daichi wouldn’t hurt me,’’ Suga said with such conviction that Hinata was surprised. Before, he had felt like Tsukishima and Kageyama wouldn’t do anything _but_ hurt him, ‘’and during our first time together he didn’t either. I was terrified with the act itself, and Daichi was a little intense, but…he didn’t hurt me. Quite the opposite, actually,’’ Suga added with a smile, tucking a piece of Hinata’s hair behind his ear affectionately, ‘’I don’t think Kageyama and Tsukishima wanted to hurt you, either.’’

Hinata glanced at Suga, ‘’at first they were…very alpha-like. But after…I stopped struggling…’’ it was hard to get the words out, ‘’…they became almost…caring.’’

‘’That’s the thing about alphas,’’ Suga brushed his thumb over the dark kiss marks on Hinata’s neck, ‘’they become all placated and protective once they get what they want. You need to set boundaries with your alphas, and if you have two, then turns, maybe, if you’re not ready for the full thing. The first few times they will find it harder to control themselves, but the worst of it has passed.’’

Hinata gave a weak smile, ‘’I hope so.’’

They talked a little about volleyball, and then Yamaguchi and Daichi came back into the corridor, ‘’ready to sleep?’’ Yamaguchi asked. Hinata realised he was ready to _collapse_. Daichi extended his hand for Suga, who took it and they made their way upstairs with a quick ‘goodnight’. Yamaguchi pulled Hinata up and took him to the little cosy living room. Hinata realised that their houses was pretty big, considering there were four of them. There was a futon laid out in the corner. Hinata threw off his clothes till he was in his boxers, rubbing the palm of his hand against his neck as if the kiss marks itched. Yamaguchi followed suit and they slipped under the covers. It was quite chilly so Yamaguchi gathered Hinata against him; the smaller boy had always had a higher body temperature than him.

‘’You were really cool today,’’ he mumbled sleepily, stroking Yamaguchi’s side, ‘’all like boom! with your shotgun, like from an action movie…where did you get the shotgun from, anywhere?’’

Yamaguchi traced his fingers over Hinata’s bare back, ‘’I bought it,’’ was all he said. He didn’t add that he bought it so he could protect Hinata from just that. He also didn’t add that it wasn’t loaded.


	7. When the Sky Turns Gray and Everything is Screaming

Three days later – three days of missed school for Hinata, spent taking care of him on Daichi and Suga’s futon – Yamaguchi got the text. It was evening and the four of them were cuddling up on the couch, Suga against Daichi, Hinata with his arm wrapped around Yamaguchi’s stomach, his head on his shoulder. The four of them were at ease with each other, but Yamaguchi also knew they could only stay for so long – after-all, they were invading their privacy. Thankfully Hinata’s heat had declined through the day, and was now nothing but a dull throbbing. Before midnight, it would disappear completely.

Yamaguchi’s phone buzzed and he teared his eyes away from the movie to check it. He tried not to inhale too quickly so Hinata wouldn’t tense up. He continued to stroke the smaller boy’s shoulder with his thumb. The text was from Tsukki. Yamaguchi tapped in his password, and immediately reduced screen brightness. Then, angling the phone so Hinata wouldn’t see the content, he opened it.

_We’re fine now. We need to talk. Come home._

Yamaguchi swallowed thickly. On one hand, he was relieved the two had gotten out of their bathrooms and hadn’t, like, starved to death, on the other he wasn’t exactly sure Hinata would want to see them. He tilted the phone towards him anyway, and he looked curiously at it. Then he looked down. Then meaningfully at Daichi and Suga, curled on the other end of the couch, and finally up at Yamaguchi. He nodded slightly and Yamaguchi squeezed his shoulder before sitting up. Suga looked at them, a question in his pretty brown eyes, ‘’we should go home now,’’ Yamaguchi said softly.

‘’The movie hasn’t finished yet,’’ Daichi protested. Yamaguchi knew he felt protective, at least of Hinata for the pure sake that he was an omega – and for both of them, as his former _kohai_.

‘’We got a text from Tsukishima,’’ Hinata said grimly, ‘’and we’ve intruded for long enough.’’

They gathered their stuff within ten minutes, in twenty they were back in Yamaguchi’s mini with warm goodbyes and assurance that they were always welcome. As Yamaguchi drove, he kept an eye on Hinata. He was a bundle of nervous energy, like before the match, tapping his hands on his thighs, his foot against the floor, looking left right and centre… Yamaguchi figured they got home way too quickly, that Hinata needed a little more time, but there was nothing to be done. He parked next to Hinata’s van, took the keys out of the ignition. They climbed out, Yamaguchi locked the doors and then marched up to the doors of the house, digging out the keys. He gave a reassuring smile to Hinata over his shoulder and opened the doors.

Faster than humanely possible, Tsukki appeared in the kitchen, hair dishevelled, out of breath like he had charged down the stairs the moment the car stopped, ‘’Yamaguchi…’’ he said, as if he hadn’t actually thought they would come back.

Yamaguchi stepped into the kitchen, ‘’you look like you’re about to have an asthma attack,’’ he said calmly.

Tsukishima quickly patted his hair down, and pushed his glasses up his nose. Kageyama appeared at the doors, just as Hinata stepped into the house and closed the main ones behind him, only in his boxers. He stuck so close to Yamaguchi that he was practically hiding. A tense silence descended on the kitchen. Hinata did not step out from behind Yamaguchi. Finally, it was Tsukishima who moved. Yamaguchi knew his best friend; he hadn’t apologised much during their friendship but his apologies were usually forced, always awkward with him looking away and gritting his teeth, like he was above it. But when he swept past Yamaguchi, his face was soft, open.

Hinata was stubbornly staring at his shoes, hands balled into fists, when Tsukishima’s long fingers brushed against one of those fists, making Hinata loosen his hand in surprise. Tsukishima took his hand gently, running his thumb over Hinata’s knuckles. Hinata finally looked up at him, ‘’I’m sorry, Hinata,’’ he whispered, ‘’I won’t do something like that to you again.’’

The omega was glad he still had his hoodie on, because it looked as if Tsukishima would have a mental breakdown if he saw the hickeys he had left. He found himself letting the blond in. He wasn’t angry at the two, exactly. He was scared of them – he’d stay a little scared till they proved he had nothing to fear. But Tsukishima’s apology had reassured him, enough for him to smile. He didn’t say anything, just squeezed Tsukishima’s hand. He hadn’t expected that kind of gentle apology from the sarcastic giant.

‘’Yeah,’’ Kageyama said awkwardly, ‘’s-sorry.’’ He didn’t move from the doorway; that was _exactly_ the kind of apology he had expected from the setter, if he’d expected an apology in the first place.

Slowly, Hinata released Tsukishima’s hand, ‘’I’m going to take a shower.’’

‘’We didn’t knock the doors out,’’ Kageyama said suddenly, as if he felt his apology wasn’t adequate and tried to make up for it, ‘’Tsukishima, uh…picked the lock.’’

‘’Kay,’’ Hinata didn’t look at him as he walked past.

Kageyama looked down at his feet and Yamaguchi thought that he looked a little…sad. Without glancing at them, he turned, ‘’I’m gonna go sleep,’’ he mumbled, more to himself than to them, and disappeared also.

‘’A shower sound good,’’ Yamaguchi forced his voice to be bright and cheery to fill the suddenly empty kitchen. He made for the doors but Tsukishima caught Yamaguchi’s wrist.

‘’I hurt you,’’ he whispered. It sounded too accurate – Tsukishima had hurt him. Emotionally, more than anything.

‘’You shoved me,’’ Yamaguchi corrected, pulling his wrist out of his grip and turning to his best friend. He kept his eyes on his chest; he couldn’t look him in the eyes, for some reason, ‘’I pointed a gun at you…it’s not a big deal.’’

‘’I’m bigger than you,’’ Tsukishima’s voice rose in volume, ‘’it looked goddamn painful,’’ he clenched his fists and looked at the floor, ‘’I knew what I was doing. It’s not like a blacked out or anything. And yet…I hurt you.’’

‘’Tsukki,’’ Yamaguchi took a step forward, towards his best friend, ‘’would you have shoved me if you weren’t a sex crazed, hormonal nineteen year old who just caught the scent of his omega mate in heat for the first time?’’

‘’You know I wouldn’t,’’ Tsukki answered immediately.

Yamaguchi peered into his face with a smile, ‘’exactly,’’ he said, shrugging, ‘’so it’s no big deal. Because I know you didn’t want to hurt me.’’

Tsukki relaxed, ‘’even so…I’m sorry.’’

Yamaguchi felt his finger under his chin, tilting his head up, and then a gentle kiss being pressed to his forehead. Yamaguchi held his breath. For as long as he’d known Tsukki, the blond had never kissed anyone, not even his mom. He never had a girlfriend, but he had flings, as far as Yamaguchi knew. Even so…he somehow felt like this was a first for Tsukki, kissing someone with such care. He let his kiss linger and when he pulled back, he tucked a strand of Yamaguchi’s long-ish hair behind his ear. Yamaguchi realised his heart was racing, and he stepped away, ‘’goodnight,’’ he said quickly, walking out of the kitchen.  


	8. Oh, Living in a Dream

The following Saturday Kageyama and Tsukishima were off visiting their families and the house, for the first time in forever, wasn’t filled with tension. Ever since Yamaguchi and Hinata came back, it was as if Kageyama was tip-toeing around them. Back in September, Hinata would have said Tsukishima would be the hardest to get along with. Now, when October was coming to an end, it was clearly Kageyama. He got into argument with Tsukishima the most, thanks to the blond’s snarky comments and provocations…but, strangely enough, he didn’t seem to have any snarky comments for Hinata. In fact, he seemed to be…awfully nice, which was as weird as it was refreshing. Either way, between spending his days avoiding Kageyama’s glares and bad moods and trying to crack Tsukishima, that Saturday was a blessing.

It was getting cold outside, but Hinata didn’t pass up on his morning jog. He missed the times when he and Kageyama would go jogging together every morning, in their third year and before they found out they were mates. Now Kageyama woke up earlier than Hinata, just so they wouldn’t have to run alongside each other. On the day that Kageyama had brought his meds, Hinata had hoped everything would go back to normal. His heat had destroyed whatever they had built back and now the only time Hinata could coax Kageyama to do something normal with him, was if he asked to play volleyball in the garden. Even then it was full of bickering and snapping and King Kageyama making a big return.

Hinata closed the doors of the house and ran on the spot a couple of times to warm himself up, huffing in his hands. He really should have taken gloves – he also shouldn’t have walked the last half kilometre, allowing the sweat on his body to cool down so that he was freezing by the time he got back to the house. He pulled off his shoes and padded over to the kitchen table in his fluffy socks. Yamaguchi was already up, judging by the plate with two sandwiches left out for Hinata. The captain turned on the kettle, grabbed the plate in his hands and ventured into the living room.

Yamaguchi was on the square couch, pressed into one corner, drinking a cup of tea with one hand and tapping away at his laptop with the other.  He was listening to something, bobbing his head to the music. Hinata put down the plate on the table in front of the couch and jumped in next to Yamaguchi, pulling out one ear-bud, and popping it into his ear. His hearing was attacked with a bunch of screams and what sounded like an electric guitar being shredded. Hinata was so surprised he nearly dropped the tea he manage to finesse from Yamaguchi. He quickly pulled the ear-bud out, ‘’what the frick-frack are you listening to?’’

Yamaguchi grinned and turned his laptop off, closing it and setting it down gently on the floor, ‘’Metallica. It’s my favourite band.’’

‘’I didn’t know you were into…uh, heavy metal?’’

Yamaguchi took the cup from Hinata and sipped the content, ‘’I don’t look it?’’ he guessed.

Hinata gave him a pointed look, ‘’you look like you listen to Disney songs.’’

Yamaguchi laughed at that and passed the cup to Hinata so he could finish the tea. As the smaller boy crawled over to the edge of the couch, to each over and put the cup on the table, Yamaguchi blurted, ‘’I got a job.’’

Hinata whipped around like an over excited puppy, ‘’that’s awesome!’’ he exclaimed.

But Yamaguchi didn’t seem to think so. He reached out his hands, ‘’c’mere for a sec.’’

Confused, Hinata bundled over into the safe circle of Yamaguchi’s arms. The former captain pulled him against his chest, letting Hinata curl up there, ‘’this prestige club in town need a bartender. I’m really lucky I got the job.’’

Hinata looked up at him curiously, ‘’you know how to mix drinks, and stuff?’’

‘’My mom did mixology at uni, so she taught me,’’ Yamaguchi said calmly, and then took a deep breath, ‘’it’s a night job.’’

‘’Oh,’’ Hinata said and then it dawned on him, ‘’ _oh_ …’’ Yamaguchi wouldn’t be here in the evenings. Hinata would sleep alone. Worse, Hinata would be by himself with the two alphas for most of the night, and if his heat hit him…

‘’As I said, the club’s kinda prestige,’’ Yamaguchi said quickly, ‘’mom recommended me, and it pays well enough that I’m only going to work Fridays, and weekends.’’ He looked down sadly at the surprised Hinata, and pulled him into his lap, ‘’I haven’t confirmed yet. I won’t take it, if you don’t want me to.’’

Hinata snapped out of it, ‘’don’t be stupid,’’ he said, ‘’it’s a good job. It sounds fun.’’ He forced a smile, ‘’I really like falling asleep next to you. But I get it. Take the job, Yamaguchi. I want you to.’’

‘’Kay…’’ Yamaguchi’s voice was barely audible. He gazed at Hinata as if he was the most amazing person he’d ever seen and Hinata flushed. He really wasn’t all that, ignoring the fact that he had just agreed to stay by himself in a house with two alphas that could have hurt him very, very badly…

‘’Wanna watch a movie?’’ Hinata piped up.

*~*~*

Essentially, the two of them did more than the four of them had all week. Before they even started making dinner, a cooking schedule hung on one of the cupboards, because Yamaguchi couldn’t be the only one making all the meals. After dinner, they cleaned the house. Once Yamaguchi bribed Hinata with the promise of cookies, the ginger turned into a little ball of energy, vacuuming the whole house (albeit not very carefully), wiping dust off surfaces and washing windows while Yamaguchi washed up, did the laundry and made said cookies. After they were stuffed full of the chocolatey goodness, Hinata drove them in his minivan (Tsukishima had Yamaguchi’s mini, and he had dropped Kageyama off at his house) to the grocery store and they bought enough food to last them a week. Hinata even managed to drag Yamaguchi outside to play some volleyball.

Later, spent after a day of activity and hustle, they curled up together on the couch to watch another movie. Neither of them really knew what was on the TV. Hinata was dozing off against Yamaguchi’s chest, his concentration drawn to the way his fingers grazed his exposed arm, venturing under the hem of his t-shirt to press against the warm skin, or the way his hand stroked his back in slow, circular motions that nearly put him to sleep or the soft press of his lips against his forehead every once in a while that reminded Hinata that Yamaguchi was still there. And all Yamaguchi could think about was Hinata’s soft weight atop him, his arm draped over his stomach, and his nose nuzzling into his neck.

Hinata fell asleep first. Yamaguchi didn’t even get halfway through the movie before he was fast asleep, too, his cheek resting against the top of Hinata’s head.

*~*~*  


Being away from his mates all day after being around them for so long was…unsettling for Tsukki. Which was why he didn’t stay the night at his parents’ house, but drove back. As soon as he entered the dark, silent house, he felt more at ease, the tension of the day that had built up from nowhere finally disappeared. He took his shoes off and walked through the kitchen, into the living room.

The TV was on, illuminating Yamaguchi’s and Hinata’s faces softly. They were asleep, curled around each other in a way that made Tsukishima faintly jealous. Not for either of them but for what they had. He quickly pushed the thought away and whipped out his phone. He wouldn’t be soppy about any of this. In reality, he thought this whole mate thing wouldn’t work out. He didn’t have any urges to touch the others, especially not Kageyama, but after thinking about it for a long time, he decided that being hostile wouldn’t help. And he was right, looking at Kageyama, and how he isolated himself. It was much better being decent with the other two, and taking out any frustrations on the other alpha.

And yet, in moments like this, Tsukishima couldn’t help but _be_ soppy. He snapped a quick picture of his sleeping mates and, after a moment of hesitation, set it as his home wallpaper. To see it, someone would have to know his password – and no one knew that, not even Yamaguchi. Smirking as if he just pulled the prank of the century to hide his embarrassment. He let the smirk transform into a frown of annoyance as he realised the other two were taking up his couch – but then he realised he didn’t really mind, all that much. Their soft, docile scents were making him sleepy so Tsukishima trailed upstairs. He contemplated the bed but then, out of nowhere, Kageyama’s faint scent from his armchair hit him.

Without really meaning to, Tsukishima walked over to the armchair, touching the arm hesitantly as if it would bite. It didn’t. It was plump under his finger, and this close he could really smell Kageyama’s scent. He smelled nice, Tsukki realised. The other two smelled like home and put him at ease, but Kageyama’s scent woke something up in him. Gritting his teeth, annoyance rising up again, Tsukki stripped and crawled into the bed in his boxers.

When he woke up in the middle of the night, he was in Kageyama’s armchair, his long legs thrown over one arm, Kageyama’s scent enveloping him.


	9. The Night is Calling and it Whispers to Me Softly Come and Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love kids~

Kageyama didn’t know that it was Halloween until he came home on Tuesday the 31st October. Tsukishima, having had a half-day of school, was sitting comfortably on the couch, watching fondly as Yamaguchi ran back and fro between the attic and the front doors, ‘’why does the front porch look like something out of a horror movie?’’

‘’It’s Halloween!’’ Yamaguchi announced, before Tsukishima could even open his mouth.

Kageyama gave him a look, ‘’you’re eighteen years old.’’

‘’Nearly nineteen,’’ Yamaguchi didn’t seem bothered by that fact as he carried an armful of candy into the kitchen, ‘’you’re back late.’’

Kageyama followed him like a lost puppy, ‘’got held up at volleyball practice. Is there anything to eat?’’

‘’I could fix you something,’’ Yamaguchi offered, ‘’pasta?’’

‘’Sounds good, thanks,’’ Kageyama walked up to the fridge and dug out the packet of strawberries, picking out a nice one for Volleyball to eat.

There was a knock at the doors and Yamaguchi walked over to open it. Hinata grinned at Yamaguchi, the tip of his nose pink from the cold, ‘’trick or treat!’’ he grinned.

‘’Trick it is,’’ Yamaguchi opened his arms and Hinata jumped into them, giving him a quick, warm hug.

‘’I like the decorations,’’ Hinata said, ‘’the pumpkin is cool. Did you carve it?’’

‘’Yeah, I had a lot of time today,’’ Yamaguchi started bustling around the kitchen, preparing food, ‘’you want pasta?’’

‘’Yes, please,’’ Hinata pranced over to Kageyama, ‘’hey, you,’’ he leaned down and snatched the strawberry from his hand with his teeth, grinning cheekily, and Kageyama gave him a glare. He swatted at the omega but Hinata jumped away.

‘’I want some, too!’’ Tsukishima called.

‘’I might as well just make dinner,’’ Yamaguchi sighed fondly.

‘’Okay. I’m going to go feed the turtle,’’ Hinata turned to Kageyama, bouncing on the balls of his feet, ‘’can I?’’

‘’I-if you want,’’ Kageyama turned to the fridge to fish out another strawberry, secretly happy that Hinata liked his turtle.  

*~*~*

A little after nine pm Yamaguchi decided he was officially done getting up off the couch to feed greedy kids in costumes his candy, so he taped the bag of candy onto their front doors and left the kids to fend for themselves. Occasionally their cheerful voices, bickering and yelling reached the window as they scrambled for the candy. Yamaguchi got pretty good at ignoring them, though, as he prepared four mugs of hot chocolate, and popped marshmallows into them – four for Tsukki, the sugar addict, only one for Hinata so he wouldn’t get sugar rush, none for Kageyama who didn’t really like sweet things and two for him, because he deserved it. As he carried the mugs into the living room, holding them on an improvised tray made from a large plate, he was surprised to find the three of them on the couch, together – and unsurprised to hear their bickering. Since they began living together, they had avoided, like fire, sitting together on the couch, because it was big, but designed specifically so it would be… _cosy_ , when they all sat on it. Usually Hinata and Yamaguchi cuddled up on it, and Tsukki didn’t mind sitting there with only Yamaguchi, either. But now the square couch was mostly taken up, with Kageyama squished as far in the corner as he could, Tsukki saving Yamaguchi a space and Hinata’s tiny body sandwiched between them.

‘’…You don’t want to watch a documentary because anything remotely educational fries your brain,’’ Tsukishima told Hinata, who was sulking between the two alphas, ‘’I’m tired of watching pointless, poorly executed flicks.’’

‘’Westerns are not flicks! They’re classics, because they were all filmed, like, a hundred years ago, when the Indians were still around.’’ Hinata rebuked him.

Tsukishima gave him a look, ‘’that’s not even remotely the time period yo- oh, forget it. Kageyama, what do you want to watch?’’

Kageyama shrugged, uncomfortable to be in the spotlight, ‘’I dunno, a horror?’’

‘’Horror sounds good,’’ Yamaguchi set down the tray carefully.

Kageyama perked up, ‘’yeah? Then let’s watch that.’’

‘’Okay,’’ Yamaguchi smiled and distributed the hot chocolate.

‘’Hell no,’’ Hinata took his cup as he protested, ‘’I’m bad with horrors. I can’t sleep after.’’

‘’You’ll sleep with Yamaguchi anyway,’’ Kageyama’s mind seemed made up already, ‘’you can just hug him, or something.’’

‘’Yeah, I’ll cuddle you,’’ Yamaguchi promised, leaning over to press a kiss to Hinata’s orange hair. The couch was long enough for them to be able to spread their legs in front of them (except Tsukki – he had to prop his up) so it proved quite difficult, but Yamaguchi did it nonetheless.

‘’Fine,’’ Hinata said, ‘’but only because it’s Halloween.’’

As if on cue, there was laughter and a muffled ‘trick or treat!’ from behind the doors, before someone noticed the bag of sweets. More giggling, loud talking and padding feet. Tsukki groaned, ‘’can we watch something where trick or treaters get eaten by a monster?’’

‘’The purge?’’ Kageyama proposed.

‘’Do snotty kids looking for candy get eaten?’’

‘’No, but snotty adults looking for stores to break into do.’’

‘’The purge it is,’’ Tsukishima said.

They begun sipping their hot chocolate as Kageyama connected the TV to the internet using the remote, and googled the film (he pirated _everything_ , as Tsukishima had noticed the previous week). The movie begun and everyone settled down, with Hinata commenting every three seconds until Tsukishima clamped his hand over his mouth pointedly. Kageyama watched with half-interest, half consciously listening to Hinata’s quiet gasps and the kids outside, since he’d seen the movie a couple of times. But then the masked killers popped up in front of the camera and Hinata yelped…and latched onto Kageyama’s arm. Maybe it was because Hinata’s heat was right around the corner, but suddenly his smell hit Kageyama. But there were other things, too, that made it hard to breathe – the way Hinata’s warm arms wrapped around his, how his small hands, half hidden in the sleeves of his hoodie, clung to his own sleeve, how his cheek pressed itself into Kageyama’s shoulder, as if Hinata truly believed Kageyama could protect him…

It was too much.

Kageyama threw Hinata off his arm so violently he was pretty sure he hurt Hinata a little. It was instinct – either throw Hinata off or… hurt flashed in Hinata’s brown eyes, so clear that Kageyama saw it in the dark, and then Hinata covered it up with a little embarrassed laugh, ‘’sorry,’’ he whispered.

Guilt made Kageyama’s throat close and he stood, balancing himself on the plush seat of the couch, ‘’I need to take a piss.’’ He said, stepping carefully over his mates.

Yamaguchi swatted his thigh, ‘’don’t be vulgar,’’ but he was half-listening, concentrated on the movie.

Hinata sat there, not watching anymore. He was embarrassed. Kageyama had made it pretty clear that he didn’t want affection, from any of them, and now Hinata felt clingy and needy, like he’d just forced himself on Kageyama. He was blushing; he could feel how hot his cheeks were. He promised himself he wouldn’t do that again and yet when the masked killers appeared again, he couldn’t help but latch onto the only other person next to him on instinct. Tsukki blinked down at him, surprised when Hinata grabbed his arm and Hinata quickly let go, even more embarrassed than before, ‘’sorry…’’ he squeaked.

Tsukishima’s features relaxed…or maybe it was the soft light falling from the TV. Either way, he gently took Hinata’s hand and hooked it back around his forearm, ‘’it’s alright,’’ he said quietly. Hinata smiled at him gratefully and when Tsukki fully relaxed, Hinata leaned his cheek onto his arm, since his shoulder was too high up. Tsukki was warm and he smelled nice, too, and Hinata found himself less scared of the movie than he had been before. He barely noticed when Kageyama came back. But Kageyama noticed that Hinata was now cuddled up to Tsukishima and…his chest tightened. Familiar anger surged up, the kind he got when someone wasn’t trying at practice. No, that wasn’t it… It was a different kind of anger. The kind that made him want to smack Tsukishima and not speak to Hinata till he apologised. Apologised? Apologised for what? Kageyama shook his head and settled back in his spot. He was being an idiot.

The doorbell rang and Tsukishima gave a loud sigh, as if trick or treaters were his pet peeve or something. Yamaguchi chuckled but his chuckle died down when the doorbell rang again, more insistently. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi exchanged looks, ‘’who could that be?’’

‘’I’ll open,’’ Hinata offered. He figured he’d watched enough of the movie to give him nightmares for two weeks anyway. He jumped over his mates, landed on the floor and ran out of the living room, into the kitchen and to the doors, opening them.

‘’Big brother!’’ Natsu screamed, launching herself at him. She was getting pretty big now, but Hinata caught her anyway, and twirled her around. She squealed, holding her hat atop her head with one hand, clinging to Hinata with the other, ‘’trick or treat!’’ she screeched and their mother laughed as she came in, closing the doors behind her.

The lights flicked on in the living room and a few seconds later Hinata’s three mates appeared at the doors, ‘’what are you doing here, Natsu?’’ Hinata asked, still holding Natsu up in his arms.

‘’I wanted to trick or treat! I always go with you!’’ Natsu complained, throwing her arms around her brother’s neck, ‘’I miss you!’’

‘’Aw, Natsu,’’ Hinata laughed, and dropped the kiss on top of her head, ‘’I love you.’’

‘’Love you!’’ Natsu agreed, pulling back in Hinata’s arms, and pressing her button nose to his.

‘’Love you more,’’ Hinata grinned.

Natsu shook her head, nearly knocking the hat off her head. She Eskimo kissed her brother, ‘’no, I do!’’

‘’No, I do!’’ Hinata nuzzled his nose against hers in response.

Collectively, Kageyama’s, Tsukishima’s and Yamaguchi’s hearts gave a little thump.

 _He’s so fucking cute_ , they thought.


	10. Where Do I Have to Go, to Find a Honey With a Little Soul?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya~~~~ Sorry for not updating for ages! I just have a lot of things going on with school, and I'm pretty invested in my original work. Anyways, thank you for all your support - I got so many reviews asking for updates that I just had to update for y'all. You guys are great~ 
> 
> Although I need to clear up a few things:   
> 1\. this fic is not an Mpreg. Yup, my Haikyuu prompts had a bunch of Mpregs. My Original work is all about the Mpreg. This fic is not. It was never tagged as mpreg and I don't think I mentioned mpreg (correct me if I'm wrong). I know many of you are expecting mpreg, so I just wanted to clear up that there will be no mpreg in this fic - maybe in a sequel, if I ever do one. Sorry to dissapoint!  
> 2\. this fic has no schedules. I update when I feel that what I write will not be utter shit. Please don't hurry me along because that puts me off and I know a bunch of you want to know on what days I update - sorry, I don't have set days! :( I know, I'm unreliable, kick my ass xD   
> 3\. As some of you pointed out, this fic has short chapters. That's not going to change. I'm taking this fic one day at a time. Since it's basically porn with plot and doesn't have any action, it's concentrated on relationship development. I don't want to rush the slow burn, thus each chapter revolves around one, tops two, days. There's only so much I can squeeze into one day xD
> 
> What I'm saying is that my updates are short and random but, hey, if you've stuck around still you're great, and your support means a lot! Enjoy the chapter my babiess~

‘’Where’s Tsukishima and Hinata?’’ Kageyama came into the bedroom in time to see Yamaguchi tuck something underneath his pillow in a panicky fashion.

‘’I sent them major grocery shopping after school, since the fridge is running low,’’ Yamaguchi looked a little nervous, ‘’did you just come back from practice?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Kageyama said distractedly, ‘’they were already gone when I came out, so I had to take the bus. What was that?’’

‘’Hm? What was what?’’

‘’That thing you hid under the pillow.’’

‘’Nothing.’’

‘’I’m not an idiot. I saw,’’ Kageyama came over and sat on the bed, next to Yamaguchi, ‘’show me.’’ Reluctantly, Yamaguchi dug under the pillow and produced an art pad which he passed to Kageyama. The setter blinked, surprised, ‘’you draw?’’

‘’Just doodles, and stuff,’’ like most artists, Yamaguchi clearly wasn’t keen on sharing his work, ‘’not very good.’’

Kageyama opened the pad nonetheless, and flicked through the pages. There were mostly sketches and character profiles, a few storyboards and a couple of finished, coloured pieces, but clearly Yamaguchi’s medium was pencils, ‘’these are really cool,’’ he said truthfully, stopping at a page where a chubby superhero was pumping his fist in the air while jumping on short, stumpy legs – adorable enough to nearly coax a smile out of Kageyama, ‘’you’re into comics?’’

‘’Not really,’’ Yamaguchi gave a little nervous laugh. His freckled cheeks were flushed from the compliment and Kageyama only now noticed the pencil tucked behind his ear, concealed by a few stray pieces of hair that had fallen from his ponytail, ‘’I just...like the style, I guess.’’

Kageyama looked up at his mate, ‘’you’re really good.’’

Yamaguchi glanced away, ‘’everyone who doesn’t draw says that, but-‘’

‘’Oh, no, I draw a little,’’ Kageyama handed the art pad back to a surprised Yamaguchi, ‘’and I’m telling you it’s good. So don’t try to tell yourself otherwise, dumbass.’’

Yamaguchi gave a timid smile, ‘’then…can I see yours?’’ it was Kageyama’s turn to look away and Yamaguchi laughed, prodding him with his foot, ‘’come on, I showed you mine, you show me yours.’’

Kageyama relented and reached under the bed, which was already stuffed with random things the four of them had kicked under instead of picking up, and pulled out a folder with – surprise, surprise – a volleyball on it. He watched, a little anxiously, as Yamaguchi pulled out the first page – a ridiculously detailed watercolour painting of a window, opening up to a galaxy outside. The next was a pastel drawing of an angel with multicoloured wings, ‘’would it be rude to say I would never expect you to be the creative kind?’’ Yamaguchi said in awe.

‘’I-It helps with keeping the wrists mobile,’’ Kageyama said – it was his turn to be embarrassed.

‘’With your freaky concentration, no wonder these are so good,’’ Yamaguchi filed through more drawings and paintings, each on a different piece of paper. Once upon a time, he wouldn’t have believed Kageyama would give up even a second of time that could potentially be used for volleyball. But since their third year, Kageyama had made space for other things – like knitting and drawing. Yamaguchi reached the last few a4 pages that Kageyama had probably stolen from somebody’s printer. They were blank. Shyly, Yamaguchi reached for one of his pencils, in their shiny plastic box, and extended it to Kageyama, ‘’wanna draw for a bit?’’

Kageyama took the pencil and Yamaguchi drew his own from behind his ear, passing Kageyama back his pages. For an hour or so, they lost themselves in drawings. Out of the sheer hilarity of it, Yamaguchi did a quicker piece of four teddy bears sitting on a shelf, representing them. He was a mangy, old bear whose fur had fallen out, lopsided and leaning on Tsukki, the biggest, white bear with eyes that exuded Tsukki’s usual irritation perfectly. Hinata was next to him – he would have been orange if Yamaguchi had his colouring pencils out, and the massive ribbon around his neck would have been red. And then there was Kageyama, sitting a little apart from them, coloured in so dark that Yamaguchi’s pencil really needed sharpening by the end.

‘’I’m getting hungry,’’ Yamaguchi nudged Kageyama’s cheek with the butt of his pencil. He really was freakishly concentrated on the task at hand, eyes stormy, brows drawn into a frown, mouth set in determination… ‘’want to make something?’’

‘’Sure,’’ Kageyama’s face relaxed and he tucked his unfinished drawing into his folder; Yamaguchi caught sight of a boy with stars scattered atop his nose before the flap of the folder fell shut. The folder disappeared under the bed and, after a moment of hesitation, Yamaguchi tucked his art pad atop it, sliding his pencils under the bed, too. Before they ventured into the kitchen, Yamaguchi snatched one of Tsukki’s jumpers from the wardrobe, pulling it on. It was big, and comfy, and he hoped Tsukki wouldn’t mind.

‘’What shall we make?’’ Yamaguchi pranced into the kitchen and opened the fridge. With the other two still not back, there wasn’t much choice. They had meat, and rice, ‘’curry?’’

‘’If you know how to make it.’’ Kageyama was tying an apron around his waist and Yamaguchi looked away before words like ‘cute’ and ‘adorable’ could pop into his head.

‘’I know how to make everything,’’ Yamaguchi pulled out the ingredients. He gave Kageyama the easier task of cutting the vegetables, secretly worried he’d cut himself. So when Kageyama started chopping peppers with Gordon Ramsay speed and accuracy, Yamaguchi just stared, ‘’you’re…uh, really good with a knife.’’

‘’It’s cause I spent my last year of junior high practicing the knife game.’’

Ah. Another thing that required Kageyama-like concentration, ‘’can you still do it?’’ Yamaguchi curiously leaned his elbows on the counter, resting his face against his hand.

Kageyama shrugged, putting his hand on the chopping board away from the peppers, ‘’do you know the song?’’

‘’It was a worldwide trend,’’ Yamaguchi shrugged with a smile, ‘’ready?’’ Kageyama positioned the knife above his hand, splaying his fingers. Yamaguchi started singing, ‘’ _I have all my fingers, the knife goes chop-chop-chop. If I miss the space in-between my fingers will come off…_ ’’ the beta watched as the knife came down quickly, and then became only flashes of metal as Yamaguchi sped up the song. Kageyama’s face was completely blank but his eyes were exuding terrifying concentration. When Yamaguchi stopped, out of breath from singing too fast, the knife froze, too, revealing Kageyama’s unharmed hand, ‘’damn-‘’

‘’I didn’t know you could sing,’’ Kageyama went back to chopping peppers as if he hadn’t just nearly lost a finger, ‘’you can draw, sing, cook, play volleyball…is there anything you can’t do?’’

Yamaguchi gave him a breathless smile, ‘’I’m a terrible dancer.’’

*~*~*

‘’Kageyama, something’s burning!’’ Yamaguchi called a little while later. He was upstairs in the bedroom, folding the laundry, and Kageyama was downstairs. Yamaguchi had told him at what time he should turn off the heat and drain the rice, but now…

‘’SHIT!’’

He heard Kageyama thundering from the living room to the kitchen and smiled to himself, folding the last of Hinata’s school shirts and tucking it into the wardrobe. He then came downstairs, to the kitchen that smelled faintly of burned rice, that Kageyama was guiltily trying to scrape off the bottom of the pan. Yamaguchi stood in the doorway, ‘’I thought I said twenty minutes?’’ he said, barely containing laughter.

‘’I-I thought it hadn’t been twenty…’’

‘’Come on, the clock is right there,’’ Yamaguchi pointed above Kageyama’s head.

The setter didn’t even turn, glancing down at his feet, ‘’uh…I don’t know how to read it?’’

Yamaguchi blinked, ‘’really?’’ he walked over to his mate and turned him around, pointing, ‘’the short hand shows hours. It’s on five now, so it’s five pm. The long hand shows minutes. Each number down it is from twelve, is five minutes. Now it’s on four, so it’s twenty past five. Got it?’’

Kageyama squinted, ‘’kind of?’’

Yamaguchi patted his back, ‘’you’ll get there,’’ he grabbed a bowl and spooned half the curry into it, ‘’either way, I’m starving and there’s no point waiting for those two idiots.’’ He carried the bowl of curry and the bowl of un-burnt rice to the kitchen table. Kageyama turned to grab more bowls and cutlery and gasped so loudly Yamaguchi turned, in time to see Kageyama scramble away and around the counter, ‘’what is it?’’ Yamaguchi looked around in panic. 

Kageyama looked at him with eyes exuding fear, and pointed a firm finger, ‘’a spider.’’

This time Yamaguchi really did laugh, ‘’you’re scared of spiders?’’

‘’Don’t laugh!’’ Kageyama said defensively, pointing to the spider on the cupboard, ‘’kill it!’’

‘’I’m not killing it!’’ Yamaguchi laughed harder, grabbing a glass and tearing a used page off the calendar Tsukki had popped onto the wall, ‘’it’s a living thing,’’ he was still grinning like an idiot as he approached the cupboard, pressed the glass to it so the spider was trapped and wiggled the piece of paper underneath. He showed the trapped spider to Kageyama proudly, ‘’look, Kageyama! It likes you! It wants to say hi!’’ he padded over to Kageyama who very nearly squealed and scrambled to the opposite side of the counter.

‘’Get that shit away from me, or I swear to god!’’

Yamaguchi scoffed at him, ‘’no need to swear, it’s just a little spider,’’ Yamaguchi brought the glass to eye level, ‘’he’s really cute, too,’’ without further ado, he pushed open the doors with one foot and let the little spider out. When he straightened, Kageyama was still looking at him with distrust. Yamaguchi chuckled, and showed him the empty glass, ‘’it’s gone, see?’’

After dinner, Kageyama and Yamaguchi lay down on the bed and took out Volleyball, feeding him strawberries. Then they set about cleaning the kitchen after the near disaster with the rice. Close to six they finally heard Hinata’s van pull up in front of the house and a minute later the doors were pushed open. Tsukki and Hinata walked in, clutching multiple grocery bags each, ‘’hey,’’ Yamaguchi took the bags from Hinata and put them on the counter, opening his arm to gather his mate against him, ‘’what took you so long?’’

‘’Hinata spent half an hour looking for liquor chocolates because he was craving them,’’ Tsukki said, still clearly irritated as he kicked his shoes off, ‘’is there dinner?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Kageyama pointed to the stove.

‘’You’re craving?’’ Yamaguchi pulled Hinata away at arm length, and Hinata gave him a worried glance.

‘’I think I’m going to get my heat tomorrow, or the day after. It’s the fifth of November already.’’

‘’Okay,’’ Yamaguchi said reassuringly, brushing his hair out of his face, ‘’you still have enough pills, right?’’ he bit his lip, ‘’I need to go to work today…’’

‘’I’ll be okay,’’ Hinata assured, giving him a smile, ‘’but, um…tomorrow I’m going to my parents, for a few days. For a visit.’’

‘’What about your heat?’’ Tsukki turned sharply.

‘’I’ll spend it there,’’ Hinata didn’t look at him.

‘’It’s probably for the best,’’ Yamaguchi dropped a kiss on the top of Hinata’s head. He was worried himself about how Tsukki and Kageyama would react to Hinata in heat the second time round. Having Hinata safely at his parents was a welcome relief, although now Yamaguchi would have to deal with two agitated alphas in rut, ‘’don’t be gone too long.’’

‘’Few days at most,’’ Hinata turned to his alphas and said, almost apologetically, ‘’and I’ll see you two at school.’’

To his surprise, Yamaguchi saw irritation rise up like a wave in Tsukki’s eyes – till he turned to Yamaguchi and looked at him properly, in his oversized jumper, ‘’is that…mine?’’

‘’Oh, yeah,’’ Yamaguchi smiled at his best friend, ‘’hope you don’t mind.’’

As quickly as the irritation had risen, it was gone, ‘’I don’t.’’

*~*~*

Perhaps for the first time, the four of them were all in the same room, just chilling. Kageyama was curled up in his armchair, watching a volleyball match on his phone. Tsukishima was sitting on the bed, reading a novel – one of Yamaguchi’s Stephen King ones, in English. Hinata was at the desk, legs tucked up under him, watching Volleyball crawl around as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. And Yamaguchi, after all the paper work and training courses, was getting ready for his first night as a bartender.

‘’Jesus, is that your uniform?’’ Tsukki glanced up from his book.

‘’Apparently,’’ Yamaguchi tried to tug down the vest to cover more of his waist. It would have been a nice, classy vest – if it had a shirt to go with.

‘’Are you working at a strip club, or something?’’

‘’Gay bar,’’ Yamaguchi said, too worried about his short-shorts to see Tsukki jolt.

‘’Those are way too short.’’

‘’Sorry, mom,’’ Yamaguchi laughed and pulled his hair back in his custom ponytail, ‘’but it’s not like they hired me for my bartender skills which, by the way, are minimal. The owner said I was cute and that freckles sell well.’’

Tsukki’s voice had his usual irritation in it, ‘’but you’re not selling yourself, or your freckles. You’re selling drinks.’’

Yamaguchi glanced at him in the mirror. Hinata had now looked up, curious of the conversation; Kageyama couldn’t hear anything through his headphones, ‘’are you waiting for confirmation?’’

Tsukki gave him a glare, ‘’I just don’t want you to get into shady business to pay for this…household.’’

Yamaguchi laughed again, ‘’Tsukki, I’m going to be mixing drinks till my arms fall off. Nothing else.’’ He picked up the pot of body glitter his boss had given him and dabbed some on his cheekbones. He sprinkled some on his collarbones and exposed shoulders for good measure.

Tsukki sighed, ‘’At least take my jacket. It’ll cover…’’

‘’All the good bits?’’ Yamaguchi sent him a cheeky grin.

Hinata put Volleyball back in his terrarium carefully and walked over to Yamaguchi, pulling him in harshly by the waist and looking him in the eye seriously, ‘’you look hot, babe.’’

He and Yamaguchi dissolved into giggles. Yamaguchi put his hand at the back of Hinata’s neck and drew him in to kiss his forehead, ‘’who was that meant to be?’’

‘’All the assholes you’re going to have to deal with tonight,’’ Hinata nuzzle his nose against Yamaguchi’s jaw, ‘’cause, seriously, you look too good.’’

‘’Why, thank you,’’ Yamaguchi pulled him into a hug, and then asked, seriously, ‘’are you really going to be okay?’’

‘’Course.’’ Hinata drew his hands up Yamaguchi’s back lightly, ‘’I’m not in heat. They won’t hurt me,’’ he said, quietly enough for the alphas not to hear.

‘’I’ll come home at dawn and give you a cuddle.’’ Yamaguchi promised, giving Hinata’s forehead another kiss, ‘’be good.’’

‘’Will do.’’

 ‘’I’m going now,’’ Yamaguchi announced, ‘’bye, Tsukki.’’

Tsukki looked hesitant, ‘’do you want me to drive you or something?’’

Yamaguchi smiled, ‘’I’ll be fine.’’

Tsukki looked him up and down dubiously, ‘’if anyone tries…’’

‘’I’ll call you,’’ Yamaguchi promised with a smile, ‘’and you can kick their ass.’’

Tsukki sighed, ‘’fine, fine. Get home safe, okay? And wake me up when you do, just so I know.’’

Yamaguchi’s heart fluttered at how worried Tsukki was about him, ‘’will do,’’ he said softly, turning to Kageyama to work off his embarrassment. He pulled his headphones off, ‘’I’m going now.’’ He repeated.

Kageyama looked at him for the first time since he changed and his eyes widened, ‘’you’re a stripped now?’’

Yamaguchi flicked his nose, ‘’you’re an asshole now? Oh, wait, you’ve always been,’’ he straightened, ‘’be good, seriously. All of you. I don’t want to have to clean anything broken when I get home. Or drive anyone to the hospital.’’

*~*~*

In the wee hours of the morning, when the grey light barely filtered through the sky, Yamaguchi, half dead, crawled into the kitchen and closed the doors behind him. He yawned, and stretched, before pulling off Tsukishima’s coat and putting it on the peg. Work had been good. Interesting, upbeat, even if the loud music gave him a head ache. He had cool co-workers who took shots with him a few times to take the edge off nasty comments from gross customers. And the dancers in the club ( _not_ strippers) were a welcome distraction from the two alphas in denial he had at home. But now he was glad to be in said home and ready to crash. He shuffled out of his shoes and padded into the living room where Tsukki was asleep on the couch. He looked like an angel, all golden hair and serene face. Yamaguchi sat on the edge of the couch and brushed Tsukki’s golden hair out of his eyes. His best friend stirred, ‘’I’m back. Safe and sound.’’

Tsukki looked at him with glazed over, sleepy eyes, ‘’how was it?’’ his voice was soft, and heavy from sleep.

‘’Good. Everything okay at home?’’

‘’Mmmh,’’ Tsukki shuffled backwards, sleep tugging on him already, ‘’you can sleep here.’’

Despite his fatigue, Yamaguchi’s heart sped up. The couch was small. He’d be pressed right up against Tsukki, and to prevent him from falling off, he’d probably… ‘’I promised Hinata I’d cuddle him,’’ he definitely wasn’t ready for sleeping alone with Tsukki. And, despite being a beta, he felt a tug towards Hinata, to check if his omega was okay. And he had to wash off all the goddamned glitter.

‘’Kay…’’ Tsukki was already asleep by the time Yamaguchi got off the couch. He went upstairs, grabbed clean PJs from the wardrobe and hopped into the shower. It was meant to be quick, but the warm water was as soothing as sleep and Yamaguchi emerged after a good half hour, having scrubbed his teeth, hair, and washed off all the glitter. In the gentle, cold light, his two other mates looked extremely hug-able. Kageyama was curled in a ball on his chair, having kicked off his covers. Yamaguchi grabbed them off the floor and tucked them around Kageyama’s sleeping form, barely resisting a kiss.

Hinata was sprawled on his side of the bed, lips parted as he slept. Yamaguchi smiled and crawled into the humongous bed, slipping in next to the omega, finding his waist under the covers. Hinata possibly had the highest temperature out of all of them, perhaps because he was so small, and Yamaguchi couldn’t resist slipping his hands under Hinata’s t-shirt to rest against his sides. Hinata stirred and didn’t open his eyes as he pressed a butterfly kiss to Yamaguchi’s collarbone, ‘’did I just swallow glitter?’’ he mumbled sleepily.

‘’Nope. All washed off,’’ Yamaguchi assured.

‘’Glad you’re back,’’ Hinata wrapped his arms around Yamaguchi’s waist and gave a sleepy sigh, wiggling his back, ‘’do that more. Feels good…’’

Hesitantly, Yamaguchi slid his hands up Hinata’s back, till one rested at the back of his neck and the other stroked along his spine, skin to skin. Hinata sighed again, and fell asleep.

*~*~*

 The next day Yamaguchi collapsed in the couch, pissed off. He was glad he had to go to work. Maybe the two alphas would kill each other and spare him the trouble. They were agitated without Hinata, sensing his heat but unable to find him, away at his parent’s house. They had gotten into three near-fights already – over the TV channel, over whose turn it was to do the dishes and about who finished the juice. Yamaguchi had to separate all three, and two had woke him up from his much needed sleep. Now he was tired and ready to kill a bitch.

He was a bit jealous too, honestly. Hinata – sweet, hyperactive Hinata – had the ability to make level-headed Tsukki and restrained Kageyama lose their shit. When he was around, and in heat, they couldn’t keep their hands off him; even when he wasn’t present, he still drove them to fights for dominance, still made their bodies react in a way Yamaguchi would never be able to. Even if Hinata was completely terrified by the attention, and he wasn’t doing it on purpose…Yamaguchi was still a little jealous. But mostly, he was already making up what he would say in court after he killed those two idiots for not letting him rest.

Three days seemed like an eternity. He needed Hinata back.

Badly.


	11. In Poison Places We are Anti-Venom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guyss! Thank you so much for all the support & love - here, have another chapter! Keep the reviews coming - constructive criticism is welcome ;)

The following Friday Hinata was sitting on the kitchen counter, munching on cereal straight from the box. With Yamaguchi working, the evenings were usually filled with Kageyama and Hinata scavenging for snacks and food that did not require cooking. Their culinary skills stopped at cooking bacon and, sometimes, if they asked nicely Tsukishima would fix them something (not without complaining every few minutes). But Tsukishima was out, so Hinata had to settle for the cornflakes. He was busy stuffing an entire fist-full into his mouth when Kageyama came in, stretching. He had been attempting to study for the past few hours – he was trying to make it into the best university for volleyball after he finished fourth year. Grumpily, he opened the fridge, ‘’nothing there,’’ Hinata extended the box of cereal to him and Kageyama gave a laboured sigh before pulling himself up next to Hinata on the counter, reaching for the box.

The doors opened and Tsukishima walked in, a brown parcel tucked under his arm, ‘’get your dirty assess off the counter. People actually make food there.’’ He snarled instead of ‘hello’, shuffling out of his shoes and unwinding his scarf with one hand.

 ‘’What took you so long?’’ Hinata asked out loud, ‘’you weren’t there after school so we drove off without you.’’

‘’Yeah, I know,’’ there was a bite in Tsukishima’s voice as he raised the square parcel, ‘’I went to get this.’’

‘’What’s that?’’

‘’Salem’s Lot. A novel by Stephen King. In English,’’ Tsukishima shrugged, ‘’I’ve been getting them for Yamaguchi since he learned how to read in English. And tomorrow is his birthday, so…’’

Hinata jolted, ‘’hold up. What?’’

‘’You didn’t…oh, of course you didn’t know,’’ Tsukishima shook his head.

Kageyama groaned, ‘’shit. We don’t have anything for him.’’

‘’It’s fine. I don’t think he’ll mind,’’ Tsukishima shrugged, like he didn’t particularly care – he had his gift and he didn’t care what the idiot duo figured out.

But Hinata jumped down from the counter, thrusting the cereal box against Yamaguchi’s chest, ‘’I know! We’ll bake him a cake.’’

‘’Maybe just buy him one,’’ Tsukishima looked at Hinata sceptically, ‘’considering that your go-to option is dry cereal, I’ll go ahead and assume you don’t even know how to operate a microwave, much less an oven,’’ he shook his head and turned his scrutinising gaze to Kageyama, ‘’what are you going to do when you’re at uni?’’

Kageyama flushed, his eyes flashing with anger, ‘’whatever. We’ll get him one. Right now. Come on, Hinata.’’

‘’N-now?’’

‘’Yeah. You drive. We’ll have it for him in the morning, when he gets home.’’

*~*~*

‘’Stupid Tsukishima,’’ Kageyama grumbled as Hinata turned off the ignition in front of a bakery, ‘’he could have told us that it was Yamaguchi’s birthday tomorrow, at least.’’

‘’We should have known,’’ Hinata jumped out of his truck and slammed the doors shut, ‘’we’ve been friends for four years,’’ he added as he walked around the car to join Kageyama.

‘’I don’t have a head for dates,’’ Kageyama complained, ‘’if I did, I wouldn’t be failing history.’’

‘’I think you’re failing history for other reasons,’’ Hinata grinned and pushed the doors to the bakery open. The bell above the doors gave a tingle. It was late, so most cakes were already gone. Hinata practically pressed himself up against the glass, ignoring the bakers irritated look, ‘’jheez, which one should we get?’’

‘’Can I help you?’’ the baker clearly just wanted to go home.

‘’Yeah. We’re looking for a cake.’’ Hinata supplied with a bright smile.

‘’What kind?’’

The ginger glanced at Kageyama, ‘’what kind?’’ he echoed.

Kageyama hesitated, ‘’Tsukishima will know. Call him.’’

Hinata frowned, ‘’you call him.’’

‘’No way.’’

‘’I drove,’’ Hinata crossed his arms over his chest, ‘’you’re calling.’’

‘’Am not.’’

‘’Are too.’’

‘’Excuse me,’’ the baker glared at them, ‘’but if you’re not buying, then I’m closing.’’

Hinata gave Kageyama a hard look, unrelenting, till the raven sighed and dug out his phone. He chose Tsukishima’s number and pressed the phone to his ear while discreetly flipping off his mate. Tsukishima picked up after a few dials, his lazy ‘hello’ signifying that he expected this outcome, ‘’what kind of cake does Yamaguchi like?’’

Tsukishima snorted, ‘ _’what, you don’t know that either?_ ’’

‘’If I don’t know his birthday, how am I supposed to know what cake he likes, dipshit?’’

‘ _’Is that your version of ‘please’?_ ’’

‘’I swear to god, Tsukishima-‘’

‘ _’He likes all cakes. Just get whatever._ ’’ Tsukishima had plenty of arguing with Kageyama at home and school – he clearly couldn’t be bothered for a fight over the phone, too.

Kageyama chewed his lip. Fair enough they could choose a cake – but which one should they take? He glanced at Hinata, who looked just as lost, ‘’well…what kind do you like?’’

‘’ _What_?’’

‘’What cake is your favourite cake?’’ Kageyama was growing irritated.

‘ _’S-strawberry…_ ’’ Tsukishima was clearly surprised, his usual bite gone from his voice.

‘’Great, we’ll get that,’’ Kageyama snapped and terminated the call. He turned to the baker, ‘’we’ll take whatever strawberry you have.’’

*~*~*

Yamaguchi opened the doors, walking into the kitchen and yawning. He smiled when he saw his three mates in the kitchen, despite the sun having barely risen, ‘’what’s this? Breakfast?’’ he put his coat up next to Tsukki’s on the peg.

Hinata bounced over like a hyperactive ball and snuggled into his chest. The triangle revealed by his vest was covered in glitter, which was sprinkled through his mussed hair and even found its way to his eyelashes. Some of his freckles sparkled suspiciously, too, ‘’tired?’’

‘’Mmmh, a little,’’ Yamaguchi admitted, kissing the top of his head, ‘’I was hoping you’d still be in bed,’’ he added softly.

‘’I can nap with you after breakfast,’’ Hinata promised.

‘’Right, quit being sappy in the middle of the kitchen and come eat,’’ Tsukishima said, popping bacon onto a plate that he carried over to the kitchen table. He set it down next to a pile of toast and a bowl of scrambled eggs. Four cups sat next to plates, steaming – extra sweet tea for Tsukki, hot chocolate for Hinata, and coffee for Kageyama and Yamaguchi, to wake him up.

Yamaguchi readily sat down, taking his cup into his hands, ‘’this is different. Someone other than me made breakfast, and we’re actually eating together,’’ he glanced at his mates, settling in their chairs, with a smile, ‘’what’s up?’’

‘’Well, today is a special day, right?’’ Tsukishima casually bit into toast.

‘’Wha…oh,’’ Yamaguchi sighed affectionately, ‘’my birthday.’’

‘’Yep,’’ Hinata beamed at him, locking his ankles against Yamaguchi’s under the table.

‘’We should do this more often,’’ Yamaguchi said, ‘’not just on birthdays.’’

The breakfast, shockingly, proceeded without any fights or even snarky comments. Kageyama, unused to waking up early on weekends, was quiet for the most part, so maybe that was the reason. Yamaguchi felt himself warm up just looking at his mates getting along, and it felt extremely good to have someone cook for him – and clean the table afterwards while he finished his coffee, ‘’well,’’ Yamaguchi stood when everything was cleaned, ‘’I’m ready to collapse. Good night. Or good morning.’’

‘’Hold up,’’ Tsukishima said, ‘’we have something for you.’’

Yamaguchi turned around, ‘’the breakfast wasn’t my present?’’

Tsukishima smiled, and took the novel from the shelf where he had put it before breakfast, ‘’happy birthday.’’

‘’Oh!’’ Yamaguchi’s eyes shone when he unwrapped the book and read the title, ‘’another one for my collection!’’ he beamed at Tsukki and surprised everyone by grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him down to press a lingering kiss to his cheek, ‘’thank you.’’

Tsukki glanced down at him, a hint of a blush on his pale cheeks, ‘’yeah,’’ he said gruffly, wiping some glitter off Yamaguchi’s cheek with his thumb.

‘’Now us, now us!’’ Hinata bounced on the balls of his feet as he produced the cake from inside the box, ‘’should we sing?’’

‘’No!’’ Tsukishima and Kageyama said together.

Yamaguchi laughed and brushed his hair out of his face, embarrassed but giddy, ‘’that’s…gosh, that’s so cute.’’ Since Kageyama was closest, Yamaguchi reached for him. Any other day, Kageyama would step away, but since today was Yamaguchi’s birthday… ‘’thank you,’’ Yamaguchi said so sweetly that Kageyama’s heart nearly melted, especially when he, too received a kiss on the cheek – he turned much redder than Tsukki had, ‘’c’mere,’’ Yamaguchi extended his arms to Hinata, who practically jumped on him. Keeping one hand around his waist, the other on his cheek, Yamaguchi leaned down, ‘’thank you,’’ he repeated and kissed Hinata. Just like that. A lingering brush of lips, nothing more, but Hinata’s heart jumped.

They pulled apart and stared at each other for a second. Then, Hinata grinned, pulled Yamaguchi down and kissed him again.

*~*~*

Fresh out of the shower and glitter-less, Yamaguchi was ready to collapse into bed. He had every intention of going straight over, but as he took in his mates – Tsukki just pulling down a jumper he had put on, Kageyama curled up in his armchair, squinting at one of Yamaguchi’s Stephen King novels, and Hinata ready in bed – he felt a surge of affection. He walked over to Tsukki and wrapped his arms around his middle, ‘’really. Thank you for today,’’ he murmured.

‘’It’s cool,’’ Tsukki brushed his fingers through Yamaguchi’s damp hair. They had never shown much affection towards each other in public, but they had been friends for so long they had no trouble hugging, especially on special occasions.

‘’Tsukki?’’ Yamaguchi’s voice was heavy with sleep, ‘’say something in French?’’

Kageyama glanced up from his book, ‘’Tsukki can speak French?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Yamaguchi moved his head, so he could look at Kageyama while resting his cheek against Tsukki’s chest, ‘’did you think the blonde hair is just something floating around in the Asian gene pool? Tsukki is half French.’’

‘’No you’re not!’’ Hinata exclaimed.

‘’Am too.’’

‘’Say something in French then,’’ Hinata demanded.

‘’Oh, for fucks sake,’’ Tsukki sighed, ‘’like what?’’

‘’Like,’’ Yamaguchi grinned up at him, ‘’happy birthday, my love.’’

‘’How about just ‘happy birthday’?’’ Tsukki deadpanned, but relented when Yamaguchi pouted, ‘ _’joyeux anniversaire, mon amour_.’’

Kageyama gaped. ‘’Oh my god, with a perfect accent as well!’’ Hinata said in awe.

Yamaguchi grinned and Tsukki chuckled, '' _va te coucher avant qu'Hinata devienne dingue_ ''

‘’Mmmh, whatever you said,’’ Yamaguchi squeezed his arms around Tsukki’s waist and padded over to Hinata, who was glaring at Tsukki.

‘’I heard my name,’’ he said accusingly.

‘’Teach me,’’ Kageyama said, still stunned.

Tsukki chuckled again, ‘’if you pay me.’’

Tsukki left the room, presumably to go shopping for dinner and Kageyama settled with his book again. He’d made it to the middle of page two. Yamaguchi crawled under the covers and gathered Hinata’s warm, compact body against him, ‘’you smell nice,’’ Hinata murmured, brushing his nose against the column of Yamaguchi’s throat.

Yamaguchi giggled, ‘’that tickles.’’

‘’Does it?’’ Hinata grinned and tilted his head up.

Without really thinking about it, Yamaguchi leaned down and pressed a delicate kiss to Hinata’s lips. They stayed close, their lips inches apart till Hinata leaned forward, pressing his lips against Yamaguchi’s more firmly. Almost shyly, Yamaguchi cupped his face and captured Hinata’s mouth properly. In the heat of the moment, Hinata parted his lips. With each kiss, his heart sped up, till it felt like it would jump right out of his chest. But Yamaguchi didn’t deepen the kiss. He kissed Hinata for a few minutes, satisfying himself with shallow, open-mouthed kisses, and then simply kissed his forehead, settling down. It took Hinata a good ten minutes to calm down.

On the armchair, Kageyama pretended not to hear.


	12. Me, I Kill for Candy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi lads thanks for all the support yall are great 
> 
> From here on the story picks up a little in the romance department so yaysss!!!

One mid November Monday night, everything changed.

‘’Remember what you’re getting?’’ Yamaguchi asked, out of the sheer need to ask something as Tsukki pulled on his coat. He’d gotten a new one – a black cloak that brushed his knees, making him look like some sort of British detective. Yamaguchi secretly really liked that, even if Hinata took the piss. He placed his empty tea cup in the sink as he watched Tsukki do up the buttons.

‘’Yes,’’ Tsukki said patiently. He never snapped at Yamaguchi, ‘’pasta, flour, bread, tomatoes.’’

‘’Tomatoes are an abomination,’’ Hinata said from where he was leaning against the doorway leading to the living room.

Tsukki scowled at him, ‘’ _you’re_ an abomination.’’

Hinata stuck his tongue out at Tsukki. Yamaguchi walked over to the peg and pulled down Tsukki’s worn out scarf – he really needed a new one. He threw it around his best friend’s neck, ‘’you forgot water.’’

Tsukki rolled his eyes but leaned down a little as Yamaguchi tied his scarf into place, ‘’we have a tap for a reason.’’

‘’Do you know how much bacteria is in there?’’ Yamaguchi asked, appalled, brushing invisible dust from Tsukki’s coat. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and produced the keys to his mini, ‘’drive safe; it’s dark. And don’t forget the water.’’

‘’I won’t,’’ Tsukki smiled fondly at Yamaguchi and, just for a second, Yamaguchi imagined he might bend down and kiss the top of his head. But he didn’t, saying a quick ‘bye’ and disappearing into what was now a night cold enough to promise snow.

Yamaguchi made to go back to the living room when Hinata pried himself off the doorframe and stopped him, ‘’Yamaguchi?’’

‘’Mmmh?’’ Yamaguchi reached out on instinct to brush his hand through Hinata’s hair. Since they broke the boundary between them, their day was filled with constant little touches and Yamaguchi missed having Hinata around when he was at school; Hinata missed him when he was at work, often waking up in the wee hours of morning in anticipation of his return.

‘’Why didn’t you kiss him?’’

Yamaguchi snatched back his hand as if Hinata’s bright orange hair was actually flame. When had his little omega become so perceptive? ‘’what?’’

‘’You wanted to,’’ Hinata wasn’t taunting him. He was curious, clearly, and maybe a little confused, ‘’I could tell.’’

Yamaguchi felt himself go red. If it had been obvious for Hinata, then Tsukki… ‘’I didn’t want to,’’ Yamaguchi lied, ‘’he’s my best friend.’’

‘’He’s your mate,’’ Hinata shrugged.

‘’So are you,’’ Yamaguchi shifted the topic away from Tsukki and onto Hinata, yanking him closer by the hem of his jumper, ‘’and I’d much rather kiss you,’’ he said, voice dropping lower.

It was Hinata’s turn to blush, much to Yamaguchi’s pleasure. The Spiker stepped forward eagerly, gently pushing Yamaguchi against the doorframe and pressing their lips together in a light kiss, ‘’I like doing that,’’ he murmured against Yamaguchi’s mouth, hand on his chest. Hinata took control, taking Yamaguchi’s hand and pulling him gently towards the couch in the living room. They parted when they got there, long enough for Yamaguchi to sit down and Hinata to slide into his lap. Yamaguchi’s hands slipped under Hinata’s jumper to press against his warm sides and Hinata smiled, blush deepening. He kissed the tip of Yamaguchi’s nose and slid their lips together again. They settled for slow, lazy kisses, brushing their mouth against each other’s again and again, simply letting the idea that they could do this whenever they wanted settle in.

Yamaguchi pulled away first, brushing his nose against Hinata’s before dipping his head and pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to the hollow between Hinata’s collarbones. Hinata shivered in his lap and Yamaguchi’s hands tightened on his hips as his mouth made its way up Hinata’s neck lightly. Hinata let his hands fall to Yamaguchi’s shoulders. He realised that whatever they were doing, it was more than the sweet, adorable kisses they shared in the kitchen or even in bed. This could lead to something, Hinata thought. This could lead to the very thing he had been desperately avoiding when in heat, that he had been terrified of his whole life.

But with Yamaguchi doing it, he craved it.

Yamaguchi reached his ear, and found his mouth again. Hinata evaded, teasing, and Yamaguchi grinned. His grin turned softer as Hinata cupped his face and pressed a gentle kiss to Yamaguchi’s cheek, against his freckles, before tilting his head and kissing Yamaguchi again. He jolted, surprised, when the first brush of Yamaguchi’s tongue against his lower lip came, but he didn’t move back. On the contrary, he pressed against his mate harder, opening his mouth eagerly.

‘’Oh, shit, sorry!’’

The two sprang apart and Hinata actually scrambled off Yamaguchi’s lap as if he’d been caught making out with someone’s boyfriend rather than his own mate. And it hadn’t been a make out, not really, not yet – thanks to Kageyama who had walked in on them. When Yamaguchi was touching him, it was so easy to forget that they lived with two other people – one of whom had a very bad case of hatred for PDA, apparently. Hinata watched Kageyama, bright red, escape back up the stairs. He’d probably been on his way to the kitchen, unaware what he’d find in the living room. Hinata glared at the spot where he’d been standing. The mood was now completely ruined.

Yamaguchi chuckled and patted the space next to him on the couch, ‘’let’s watch a movie.’’

‘’Okay,’’ Hinata perked up. Kissing Yamaguchi was great but cuddling was great, too. And now that he wasn’t in the heat of the moment, he tried not to think about how he had been so close to making out with another guy. Not just another guy, but his long time friend and former Captain and…his mate. Hinata only held his blush off long enough to curl against Yamaguchi’s side. He worked it off as Yamaguchi skipped between channels and he was fine when they settled for watching one of the James Bond movies. Yamaguchi draped his arm over Hinata’s shoulders and Hinata reached up to absently play with his freckled fingers.

*~*~*

A couple of hours later Hinata finally got the nerve to walk upstairs without feeling embarrassed about what Kageyama had seen. His setter also seemed adamant about not bringing it up. He sat opposite the mirror, fingering his dark hair with a look of immense concentration on his face, ‘’what are you doing?’’ Hinata came up behind him.

‘’My hair is getting long.’’

‘’Yes,’’ Hinata said with mock-patience, ‘’that’s what hair generally does.’’

Kageyama’s reflection glared at him, ‘’it’s in my eyes. It’s inconvenient in practice.’’

‘’Is that why you were so bad today?’’ Hinata grinned cheekily.

Instead of retaliating, Kageyama blushed and looked away sulkily, ‘’I had a lot on my mind,’’ he grumbled.

Hinata kicked his back without any real force, ‘’I was kidding,’’ he said, and then, ‘’I could give you a haircut, you know?’’

Kageyama turned from where he was sitting on the floor and look up at Hinata, ‘’like, now?’’

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’Do you even know how?’’ he asked sceptically.

‘’I cut Natsu’s hair all the time,’’ Hinata said, and as Kageyama stood he pushed him towards the bathroom, ‘’come on, come on.’’

‘’If you do it badly-‘’

‘’It’s not like you care about your appearance. Your fashion sense is awful!’’

Kageyama glared at him as Hinata set out to look for scissors, whistling softly. Once he made Kageyama wet his hair, he set out to work. He chopped his fringe in his customary ‘V’, and then grabbed the electric shaver, ‘’whoa, whoa, whoa!’’ Kageyama jumped away, ‘’what are you doing with that.’’

Hinata pointed to the edge of the bath tub, where Kageyama had been sitting so Hinata could reach his hair without having to stand on his tip toes and Kageyama cautiously sat down, ‘’just trust me, okay? You’ll look good.’’

‘’I don’t care if I look good!’’ Kageyama said defensively, staring at the machine in Hinata’s hand.

‘’Well, I do,’’ Hinata said, ‘’we’ll be out of high school soon and you need to look presentable at university and when you go to work.’’ Kageyama swallowed but finally allowed Hinata to turn on the machine. Hinata shaved his sides, leaving a mop of dark hair on top and buzzed, shorter hair on the sides. He turned the machine off and brushed his fingers against the top of Kageyama’s ear. It was slightly tilted up, something Hinata had never noticed, ‘’you kind of have ears like an elf.’’

Kageyama swatted his hand away and flushed, ‘’shut up.’’

‘’It’s cute.’’

If anything, that only made Kageyama blush harder. He got down to clean up the cut hair and brushed the excess off his shoulders, before looking in the mirror. He touched the sides self consciously, ‘’this is…really different from what I usually have.’’

‘’Do you hate it?’’

‘’No. It’s just…different,’’ Kageyama ran his hand through his hair, ‘’thanks,’’ he added.

‘’A fuckboy haircut for a fuckboy,’’ Hinata grinned and Kageyama’s glare returned.

‘’I am not a fuckboy!’’

‘’You’re right. You’re just a sad virgin.’’

In the next instance, Hinata found himself running for dear life as a pissed off Kageyama chased him with the shaving machine.

*~*~*

‘’Kageyama, how come I don’t have you on instagram?’’

The four of them were all sitting together on the couch in the living room later that evening – more often than not they all occupied the same room nowadays. Maybe it was subconscious, since when they were all home from school, they were usually busy with homework, and a lot of the time Yamaguchi was at work, so they migrated to each other when they could. Yamaguchi was half-watching a programme about a place in Leeds where prostitution was legalised; Kageyama was knitting; Hinata was squinting at his textbook; Tsukishima was on his phone. They were all occupying a corner of the square couch that fit them perfectly, if a little snugly. Their feet met in the middle.

‘’Uh, my what?’’ Kageyama looked up from his stitches.

‘’Instagram,’’ Tsukki said slowly, flashing the screen of his phone at the raven, ‘’what are you called.’’

‘’Kageyama,’’ the setter replied immediately.

Tsukki groaned, ‘’on instagram, idiot. What’s your username?’’

‘’I don’t have instagram.’’

Tsukki blinked. Yamaguchi turned from his programme. Hinata set his textbook in his lap, ‘’it’s true. He doesn’t even have snapchat. I used to have to text him everything.’’

‘’Oh my god,’’ Tsukki smirked condescendingly, ‘’you’re like an old man.’’

‘’Shut up,’’ Kageyama snapped but Tsukki’s annoying smirk disappeared as quickly as it came as he reached out.

‘’Give me your phone. It’s high time you set up an account.’’

They all watched as Tsukki downloaded Snapchat onto Kageyama’s phone and set up his account, ‘’look,’’ he took a picture of Yamaguchi, who grinned and put up a peace sign, and showed Kageyama how to put on stickers and write a message, and send it to others, ‘’oh, look, Suga has already added you.’’

‘’Really?’’ Kageyama perked up.

‘’Send him something,’’ Tsukki gave Kageyama back his phone, ‘’like a selfie.’’

‘’I’m not very photogenic,’’ Kageyama mumbled and after a moment turned the phone on Tsukki, snapping a picture of his surprised face. They watched as Kageyama messed around with the app.

Tsukki chuckled, ‘’that’s too many stickers, Kageyama.’’

‘’Oh. Sorry,’’ Kageyama deleted some that he’d plastered all around Tsukki’s face and pressed send.

‘’So once he opens, he can send you something back. If you do that every day with someone, you’ll get a streak, which is like a stupid little number by their name that you maintain and for some reason, everyone’s hung up on it. Like, even I don’t want to lose my streaks.’’ Tsukki explained.

Kageyama looked at him with the eyes of a child who’s just been given a new toy, ‘’then can we have a streak?’’

‘’We live in the same house.’’

‘’Yeah, but can we?’’

Tsukki smiled, and there was something fond in it, ‘’alright. Sure.’’

Kageyama turned back to screen, ‘’oh, Suga sent something back!’’ he clicked open the notification. It was a blurry picture of Daichi with only a towel around his hips, running after Suga, whose top half of the face was visible in the corner as he ran from death. Kageyama half-smiled at that.

‘’Oh my god, do you know what we should do?’’ Hinata sat up, ‘’we should set up a join instagram account.’’

‘’Yeah!’’ Yamaguchi jumped on the idea, ‘’we’re one of the few four-way mates in the world. We could get a lot of followers.’’

‘’I guess we’d get paid for it if we did,’’ Tsukki contemplated the idea.

‘’Um…what’s a join instagram account?’’ Kageyama asked, almost timidly.

Twenty minutes later, Kageyama knew exactly what it was as a joint account was set up under tha name ‘ _VolleyballTheTurtle_ ’ (despite Kageyama’s complaints that his mates were taking the piss out of him’. 

‘’Oh, we need to take a selfie!’’ Yamaguchi said excitedly, going on his camera.

‘’Take it on mine, I have better quality,’’ Tsukki passed him his phone. Yamaguchi turned on the selfie camera and turned it side-ways, catching all three of his mates. Hinata grinned and threw his arms around Yamaguchi’s neck, pressing his cheek against the top of his head. Tsukki half-smiled. Kageyama looked towards the camera uncertainly, his knitting in his lap.

Yamaguchi snapped the picture and passed the phone to Tsukki, ‘’put a good effect on it.’’

Everyone turned back to their thing as Tsukki edited the picture before posting it. He followed all the Karasuno guys, Shimizu and Yachi as they popped up on recommended and, after a moment of hesitation, went into his gallery. He dug out the picture he’d taken a month back, when he and Kageyama were visiting their families and he’d come home to find Yamaguchi and Hinata cuddled up. He posted that, too, and clicked his phone off before anyone noticed that it was still his wallpaper.

*~*~*

Hinata woke up first.

He groaned as he shivered in the penetrating cold and patted around, trying to find the covers he must have kicked off in his sleep. Except he was covered. Shivering, he scooted closer to Yamaguchi, whose arm was still draped over Hinata’s waist. His skin was cool to the touch. Slowly, Hinata sat up and shivered as the covers fell off his arms. The room was freezing. Even from here, he could see Kageyama trembling in his sleep under his covers on the armchair. The windows were closed. Hinata exhaled and his breath materialised in front of him in a puff of white. Yamaguchi stirred and hissed, sitting up, too, and rubbing his arms. He quickly gave up, scooting next to Hinata to rub his arms instead, ‘’why is it so cold?’’

‘’I think the heating is off,’’ Hinata said, teeth chattering. Outside, it must have been on a minus because icy rain was falling, ‘’let’s check?’’

Yamaguchi hissed again when his bare feet hit the marble-cold floor and he took Hinata’s hand as they walked out of the room, shivering like trees in a violent wind, and made their way downstairs. Tsukki was already out of bed, checking the bill metre in the kitchen by the time they got there, ‘’yeah, it’s off,’’ Tsukki patted the dark box that usually showed how much electricity they used up each day and how much they had left, ‘’must be a malfunction. I would call them, but it’s two in the morning.’’

‘’Sugar,’’ Hinata grumbled, because he so rarely swore, contrary to Kageyama. He jumped on the spot, rubbing his arms, ‘’what do we do? We don’t have a fireplace.’’

‘’I think I might have one of those portable heaters,’’ Yamaguchi perked up, ‘’in the attic.’’

It was effort, because it was increasingly cold and they were all tired, but they managed to tug a ladder from the garden and have Tsukki climb up there to bring down the dusty box – one of the many things Yamaguchi’s mother had give him, and that finally proved useful. Once the ladder was safely away and the three of them felt like blocks of ice, they waddled upstairs. While Tsukki set up the little heater, which worked like a reverse fan, the other two pulled out clothes, ‘’just take some of mine. They’re the biggest,’’ Tsukki told him. He glanced at Kageyama, still shivering as he slept in the armchair and shook his arm, rousing him.

‘’Hmm?’’ Kageyama cracked his eyes open.

‘’Heating’s turned off,’’ Tsukki said, breath white in front of him, ‘’come put on some layers.’’ Kageyama seemed to realise how cold it was and he sat up, wrapping his covers tighter around him. Tsukki reached above Hinata and Yamaguchi and pulled out his cream sweater, tossing it at Tsukki, ‘’put that on,’’ he commanded. He ran downstairs and came back with a bundle of their scarves and gloves. Yamaguchi’s feet were in double socks, as he’d given Hinata his fluffy pair. Tsukki distributed the scarves and gloves and pulled on his heavy hoodie. Then, he pulled out his last jumper (Hinata and Yamaguchi had two each) and passed it to Kageyama, who took it, surprised. He at least had put some socks on. Once they were bundled up like Eskimos, they felt slightly less cold.

‘’Try to get some sleep,’’ Tsukki said, voice muffled as he made for the doors.

Yamaguchi caught his wrist, ‘’you’re not sleeping on the couch,’’ he said stubbornly, ‘’you’ll freeze your ass off.’’

‘’We’ll warm up faster if we all sleep together,’’ Hinata added.

Tsukki hesitated and Yamaguchi tugged on his wrist, ‘’come on, Tsukki. You shouldn’t be sleeping on the couch in the first place. The bed is massive.’’

Tsukki relented, ‘’all right,’’ he went downstairs to grab his covers and pillow.

‘’Come on, Kageyama,’’ Hinata told his setter.

But Kageyama shook his head, ‘’I’m staying here.’’

‘’Didn’t you hear-‘’

‘ _’I’m staying here._ ’’

Hinata flinched at Kageyama’s harsh tone and the setter looked away guiltily, ‘’sorry, I just…don’t like sleeping with other people.’’

‘’Alright,’’ Hinata’s voice was oddly high pitched.

Kageyama reached for him, ‘’hey-‘’

‘’You’re getting the heater, then,’’ Hinata said suddenly, and went to turn it on. He didn’t know why he sounded like he was about to cry, but both Kageyama and Yamaguchi picked up on it. Maybe because he was cold and miserable and he didn’t want Kageyama to be cold and miserable. Or maybe because he didn’t know why Kageyama was being so stubborn. Or, most likely, it was because he knew – the realisation that Kageyama simply didn’t like them enough to want to sleep in the same bed hurt Hinata to his very core. After all, it wasn’t like he wanted him to fall in love with the Spiker. But they’d been best friends for four years, they trusted each other so completely and yet…and yet…

The warm gust of air from the heater melted some of Hinata’s hysteria and he turned it in Kageyama’s direction. The setter relaxed, ‘’here, at least you won’t freeze.’’

‘’What about you guys? It’s Yamaguchi’s heater.’’

‘’We’ll warm each other up,’’ Yamaguchi promised and tucked Kageyama’s covers around him. Then he pressed a kiss to his cool forehead, just below his woollen hat, ‘’sleep tight. If you get too cold, _come to bed_.’’ He said sternly.

‘’Kay,’’ Kageyama said, closing his eyes, but they both knew he wouldn’t.

Tsukishima came back upstairs, closing the doors behind him and the rest of Hinata’s misery evaporated. His heart gave a little thump of anticipation. He’d had sleepovers with Kageyama before and he’d slept with Yamaguchi since they moved in, but he’d never slept anywhere near Tsukki, except at training camps. He was surprised the snarky giant even agreed to lie down with them in the first place. Hinata found himself hoping it was permanent, ‘’whose in the middle?’’ Yamaguchi asked in a soft, sleepy voice that made Hinata want to snuggle into him.

‘’I’ll be in the middle,’’ Tsukki said, surprising them.

Yamaguchi didn’t know how he felt about being separated from Hinata but Tsukki didn’t give them time to protest as he climbed in first, settling in the middle. Yamaguchi was still wondering how he could warm Hinata up with Tsukki like an impenetrable wall between them when he shocked them both.

As Hinata and Yamaguchi lay down, Tsukki wrapped an arm around each of them and pulled them close against his chest. Yamaguchi froze, not used to this level of affection from his best friend, but Hinata melted into the alpha like a puddle of jelly. He gave a small, satisfied sound as he rested his cheek on Tsukishima’s chest and tucked the covers under his chin. Beneath them, Tsukishima settled his arm around Hinata’s small waist and Hinata slipped his glove off his hand before wiggling it under the hem of his two jumpers and t-shirt. Tsukishima jolted, ‘’ah! Hinata, get that ice block away from my stomach.’’ He glared down at the ginger. Without glasses, he looked different. Handsome, Hinata decided, although he always looked handsome, what with his blonde hair and height and those eyes…but with the glasses he looked more unapproachable, like a private school kid. Now he looked his age, with a bed head and all.

‘’Oh, you’re actually warmer than me for once,’’ Hinata marvelled sleepily, brushing his hand against Tsukki’s slightly warmed skin gently, placating. His thumb circled his belly button and Tsukki relaxed. Had the cold not pulled Hinata into a sleepy limbo, he would have been embarrassed by his own actions. He’d never touched Tsukki in a remotely intimate way, and now he was skin to skin with him, under the covers in a bed. But Tsukki didn’t seem to mind once Hinata’s hand warmed from his skin, pressing him closer. Hinata wiggled both his legs around one of Tsukki’s, holding it between his knees.

As if sensing that Yamaguchi was in too much shock to relax, Tsukki nuzzled his nose into Yamaguchi’s hair, his hand stroking Yamaguchi’s shoulder. Gradually, Yamaguchi relaxed against him and inhaled deeply. He reached out to cup Hinata’s face briefly with a gloved hand in a silent goodnight and Hinata turned his head to kiss the base of his palm briefly before falling asleep. Then Yamaguchi settled his hand on Tsukki’s chest, brushing it in slow circles against the material of his jumper, and then going higher, under the scarf, ‘’glove off if you’re gonna do that,’’ Tsukishima whispered against his hair.

Yamaguchi flushed but pulled his glove off, his freckled hand finding its way under Tsukki’s scarf again. He traced his collarbone, the bulge of his throat, his jaw and chin and when he reached his lips, Tsukki pressed the briefest of kisses to the tips of Yamaguchi’s fingers. _He must be tired_ , Yamaguchi thought. He felt Tsukki’s hand playing with the hem of his jumpers, ‘’glove off if you’re gonna do that,’’ he whispered breathlessly.

Tsukki let go of Hinata for a second to pull his glove off and Yamaguchi stifled a yelp as one arm returned to the Spiker’s waist while the other…slipped suddenly under Yamaguchi’s jumper to press against his bare back. After that sudden movement, Tsukki’s hand slowed, brushing Yamaguchi’s skin under the layers. Yamaguchi realised it was very effective at making him feel warm and he relaxed even more, nuzzling into Tsukki. He pulled his hand down and settled it below Tsukki’s chin, flat out against his neck. Yamaguchi fell asleep second and Tsukki a moment after him, Hinata asleep part-way on his chest, his arm warm against Yamaguchi’s back with his cheek against his shoulder.

Despite the bitter cold, it was the best sleep the three of them ever had.


	13. I Am a Semi-Automatic Lonely Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HI LADSSS  
> THANKS FOR THE MULTITUDE OF COMMENTS AND KUDOS AND SUCH YALL ARE GREAT   
> HERE'S THE FIRST SHINE-THROUGH OF SMUTTY THINGS YAS YAS ENJOY YAS

‘’Yamaguchi?’’

The beta looked up from the novel he’d been reading on the couch in the living room. Only he and Hinata were at home – the two alphas were at a school but Hinata said he wasn’t feeling well, probably thanks to the heating that had now been fixed. It appeared he had a fever. But now, as he glanced at the doorway where Hinata swayed weakly, he realised that the fever had been the first symptom of his third heat after finding his mates, ‘’oh, Hina,’’ Yamaguchi murmured. Before his book even hit the space next to him, Hinata had lunged himself at Yamaguchi and curled in his lap. He was wearing only a hoodie – one of Kageyama’s, Yamaguchi realised, probably because his scent soothed him. His underwear was damp and his thighs slick from the pre-come. Yamaguchi watched helplessly as Hinata shivered in his lap, one hand pressed against his mouth to stop the whimpers, the other against his stomach where the pain was growing. Yamaguchi hated himself for feeling a spike of arousal at seeing Hinata in such a helpless way.

‘’Let me get your meds,’’ Yamaguchi murmured, brushing his hand through Hinata’s damp hair.

‘’We’re out,’’ Hinata whimpered, ‘’I finished them at my mom’s last time.’’ Of course; his heat must have been even worse without any of his mates to soothe him.

‘’Oh, Hinata, why didn’t you tell me?’’ Yamaguchi gathered Hinata closer to him, settling him comfortably in his lap. He grabbed the blanket in the corner of the couch, where Kageyama’s had left it yesterday when watching a movie late at night (Tsukki now slept with them in the bed) and threw it over Hinata.

Hinata made an unhappy noise, ‘’I’m hot.’’

‘’I know,’’ Yamaguchi said, because he didn’t know what else he could say. Or do. He needed to get Hinata his meds, fast. He contemplated calling the boys from school but he didn’t know how they would react to Hinata. On the other hand, he’d have to leave Hinata with them anyway. Hinata would be in too much pain if he wasn’t around at least one of his mates. Yamaguchi gritted his teeth. How could he protect Hinata from the only two people that could relieve him.

The omega shifted in Yamaguchi’s lap and the beta felt Hinata’s soft, hot mouth on his neck. He pulled him back gently and Hinata shifted again, this time more purposely. Yamaguchi gritted his teeth when Hinata’s ass ground against him, ‘’touch me,’’ Hinata pleaded in a quiet, helpless voice.

Yamaguchi smoothed his hands over his back, ‘’Shhh, don’t do that,’’ he murmured. He’d promised himself a while ago that unless he got consent from a Hinata that wasn’t in heat, he wouldn’t do anything to him, no matter how much they both wanted to. Keeping Hinata bundled up like a sausage in the blanket helped a little with his self control, ‘’I’ll get your meds soon, too,’’ he promised in a soothing voice. He didn’t want to risk taking Hinata out of the house with all the unmated alphas around. And the boys were coming home soon; if they smelled Hinata’s heat but couldn’t find Hinata, they’d go crazy.

‘’...hurts...’’ Hinata whimpered.

Yamaguchi gathered him closer, ‘’I know,’’ he kissed his sweaty forehead with care, ‘’just bear with it a little more.’’

Hinata pressed himself flush against Yamaguchi’s, kissing his jaw, ‘’I love you,’’ he murmured, desperation creeping into his voice.

Yamaguchi shook his head, ‘’no you don’t. Not yet. You’re just saying it because you hope I’ll...’’ he trailed off. There was a good chance that Hinata actually loved him. They were both well on the way to being in love. But it was also true that Hinata was using the confession as a means of getting Yamaguchi into doing what he wanted.

‘’Aren’t you?’’ he whispered.

‘’No. Not unless you tell me you want to-‘’

‘’I want to!’’

‘’-when you’re not in heat.’’

‘’But I’m in heat _now_ , and I _need you_!’’

Yamaguchi chewed on his lip. He hated seeing Hinata in so much pain, ‘’alright, wait, why don’t you just...’’ he took hold of Hinata’s hips and positioned him properly, so that when Hinata next shifted his hips, they brushed against each other. Hinata shuddered and begun to frantically rub himself against Yamaguchi, ‘’hey,’’ Yamaguchi chuckled softly, ‘’slow down. Here.’’ He slid his hands against Hinata’s hips again and moved him in slow, thrusting motions against him. He bit down on a groan. It felt better than he would have expected, what with Yamaguchi being in jeans and all.

Hinata moaned and slipped his arms around Yamaguchi’s arms, burying his face in his neck. Yamaguchi guided him through the motions, ‘’feels good...’’ Hinata mumbled.

‘’Yeah?’’ Yamaguchi stroked his sides, letting Hinata set the pace. He didn’t speed up, keeping the slow pace that sent shivers down his spine, ‘’feel better?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata’s voice was small, drowsy, and Yamaguchi knew that at that point, Hinata didn’t know what he was doing. That was what he worried about – that Hinata didn’t know what he was doing when he asked Yamaguchi to have sex with him. And he’d hate him when he found out afterwards. Yamaguchi was not going to risk it.

Suddenly, Hinata’s arms tightened around his neck and he shuddered. Yamaguchi stroked his back as the omega came, whimpering softly. Because of his heat, it didn’t even take a minute to make him come. Thankfully Yamaguchi wasn’t anywhere near losing control – but he was going to be, judging by how quickly Hinata recovered and began grinding on Yamaguchi again.

The doors opened and the conversation between Kageyama and Tsukishima faded as they sniffed the air. Yamaguchi’s hands on Hinata’s hips forced him to still his movements. Hinata’s shivering suddenly wasn’t from pleasure but from fear as he hid his face further in Yamaguchi’s neck. Yamaguchi tightened his arms around him, stroking his back as the two alphas emerged from the kitchen. They hovered at the doors, eyes glowing faintly. They really did look quite scary, taking in the height and all but Yamaguchi would face them, for Hinata. The first time round they had practically pounced on Hinata but now they’ve sat through one and a half heats by themselves, so they simply stood by the doors, eyeing Hinata hungrily.

‘’Stay here,’’ Yamaguchi murmured, shifting Hinata off his lap. He stood from the couch and jumped to the floor, marching up to the two alphas. They didn’t move, didn’t even look at him, eyes on Hinata. Yamaguchi grabbed Tsukki’s face, since he was the more rational out of the two and forced him to look at him, standing on his tip toes. Slowly, Tsukki’s glowing golden eyes shifted to Yamaguchi, ‘’I’m going to go to the pharmacy,’’ Yamaguchi said, slowly, putting as much warning into his voice as he could, ‘’I’ll be back soon.’’

‘’No, Yamaguchi!’’ Hinata’s terrified squeak nearly made him reconsider.

‘’In the time that I am gone,’’ he continued and now even Kageyama looked at him, ‘’you will stay here. You can comfort Hinata, but you will not have sex with him, neither of you. If he says stop, you stop. You won’t hurt him. Do you understand? _You will not hurt him_.’’

As slowly as before, Tsukki nodded and Yamaguchi let go of him. He turned to Kageyama, who also nodded, ‘’Yamaguchi...’’ Hinata’s voice sounded close to tears. Yamaguchi turned sharply and went back to the couch, gathering Hinata’s face in his hands.

‘’I’ll only be gone an hour. You need your meds, Hina,’’ he murmured, kissing him softly. He brushed his hair back from his face, ‘’they won’t hurt you, I know they won’t. They lost control back then because it was the first time. Don’t fight them, unless they try to force themselves on you – if that’s the case, the shotgun is under the bed. But otherwise, don’t aggravate them. Other than trying to mate you, they have other instructs, too,’’ Yamaguchi smiled, trying to push the terror out of Hinata’s eyes, ‘’they want to protect you, first and foremost. And if they feel your pain as much as I do, they will comfort you. They’re good people, Hinata. Kageyama’s been your best friend for years, and Tsukki’s been mine. You’ll be fine. Okay?’’

Hinata nodded and sniffed, trying to be brave for Yamaguchi, ‘’... ‘kay...’’

‘’’Kay,’’ Yamaguchi repeated and kissed him once more, soft and lingering, ‘’I’ll be back soon.’’ He turned to the alphas, gaze hard and cold, ‘’if either of you hurt him, I will fucking shoot you,’’ he declared, shoving past them, grabbing the keys off the kitchen table and leaving the house.

*~*~*

The doors slamming shut made Hinata flinched. Trembling, he glanced up at Tsukki and Kageyama in the doorway. Their glowing eyes freaked him out. Kageyama moved first and Hinata scrambled away, despite what Yamaguchi said. He remembered how last time every time he resisted, the alphas grew violent and impatient, but when he was docile, they were careful and caring with him. Right then he couldn’t bring himself to be docile, but Kageyama didn’t seem to care. He grabbed his arm and yanked him to the edge of the couch, ‘’Kageyama, no...’’ he sniffled. To his surprise, Kageyama reached out to push his hair back, gazing into his eyes. If they weren’t so glowy, Hinata figured they’d be telling him he had nothing to be scared of. It was also freaky how neither of them talked, like their instincts just completely took over – after all, talking wasn’t important when your entire body was wired to fuck someone. Hinata didn’t fight the setter as he was picked up and wound his legs around his waist just so he wouldn’t fall. That seemed to please Kageyama, who nudged his nose against Hinata’s as if trying to coax him in for a kiss. Hinata tilted his head away and that, in turn, earned him an annoyed growl. In different circumstances, the simple reactions would have been hilarious.

Kageyama carried Hinata upstairs and Tsukki allowed it, not fighting for dominance as long as he could see Hinata. The blond followed them up and Hinata tried not to look at the feral glow in his eyes over Kageyama’s shoulder. He wasn’t even surprised when Kageyama dumped him on the bed but when he pulled his tie loose, Hinata scrambled back again, ‘’Kageyama, we’re not doing that,’’ he tried to keep his voice from shaking and he failed miserably. Tsukki followed suit, beginning to strip. Hinata had no idea what to do. He was scared that if he pulled out the shotgun and the alphas ignored him, he might fire and hurt them in sheer panic. He drew his knees to his chest and hid his face in them, because there was nothing he could do. Even if it was just Kageyama or just Tsukki, there was no way Hinata could fight them off. But there were two of them and that meant he could ever shoot them or sit there and let them do what they wanted. Yamaguchi had been right – they were his friends. He couldn’t hurt his friends.

Hinata didn’t fight the hands that tugged on his arms, forcing him to lift his head. It was Tsukki now, pulling his jumper over his head while Kageyama wrestled with his jeans behind him. They were both so muscular, Hinata realised, Tsukki in a beautiful, subtle way with faded pink marks around his waist from where he grew too fast as a kid, Kageyama in a rough, harder way that made him look like a warrior. Hinata looked away. He told himself he’d just float away during the act, ignore it, be somewhere else, as his jumper was discarded, leaving him only in his damp underwear. Tsukki pulled that off, too, and Hinata let him, staring at the freezing rain pattering on the window. It would soon turn to hail. The lights were off and night was falling. The room was dim and there were beautiful patterns on the room, thanks to the rain running down the window – maybe he’d concentrate on that when they took turns...

He was jolted out of his thoughts by the sensation of something soft and dry sliding up his thighs. He looked in surprise at Tsukki, who was dressing him in clean underwear in disbelief. Kageyama just hovered patiently behind him – they were all in their underwear, and they made no attempt to get fully undressed. Once the underwear was safely on, Tsukki lifted him gingerly while Kageyama pulled back the covers, and lay him down. Hinata held his breath as Tsukki climbed over and behind him, settling down. Kageyama dumped the covers on top of them and crawled into the bed, too. It was the first time Hinata was there with Kageyama and his breath came out in a little surprised huff. What, exactly, were his mates doing? Now that they were there, the pain that made him delusional had eased but as the fear trickled away, his arousal came back full force.

If the alphas felt the shift, they didn’t react. Tsukishima wrapped his arm around Hinata’s middle, brushing his lips in the lightest of kisses against the back of his neck. Hinata shivered – with pleasure, not fear. His large hands found Hinata’s stomach and they flitted there, as if sensing Hinata had been in pain before. Finally, Tsukki settled his arm across Hinata’s chest, stroking his shoulder. The other arm he used as a pillow for his head. Hinata glanced up at Kageyama, who seemed content with watching him. Hinata realised it was because he was trying not to assert his dominance over Tsukki’s who was bigger and more powerful than Kageyama, even if the setter was more muscular. Kageyama waited and after a moment Tsukki reached out, took hold of his wrist and brought his arm around Hinata’s waist. They both shuffled closer, caging Hinata in – except he didn’t feel caged. They were both warm and their bodies were pressed flush against his.

It felt ridiculously good to just lie there with the two alphas, with Tsukki stroking his arm and spreading lazy kisses down his neck, and with Kageyama holding him close, his other hand like a pillow for Hinata’s cheek, stroking under his eye. Hinata couldn’t even look away from Kageyama’s softly glowing blue eyes. Hesitant that if he showed willingness, the two would pounce on him, Hinata found Tsukki’s hand on his shoulder and slid their fingers together. Tsukki ran his thumb down his knuckles. Hinata closed his eyes. After a moment he felt the soft brush of Kageyama’s lips on his forehead. It was a comforting gesture but, to his frustration, his body reacted and he arched against Kageyama while pushing his ass up against Tsukki’s hardening. The three of them were all hard, he realised, and that was dangerous. His body didn’t seem to get the message, though, as his hips began to grind helplessly again against the two of them. This time, it wasn’t Yamaguchi who would stop him from doing something he shouldn’t, and he wasn’t desperately seeking comfort from pain so he was painfully aware of what his body was doing.

He needed to stop, he knew that. Once he got Tsukki and Kageyama going, they’d go exactly what he was trying to avoid. His body had other ideas, though, as he brushed his back against Tsukki’s hard on, and his front against Kageyama’s. Gently, Tsukki nudged his leg between Hinata’s and Hinata hissed at the sudden friction against his erection. His control over his own body went downhill from there – he rutted like a bitch in heat against Tsukki’s leg, his arms around Kageyama, nails digging into his back, breathing laboured. Kageyama didn’t seem to mind, sliding one hand into Hinata’s hair, holding him with the other.

With a cry, Hinata came into his fresh under wear. He shivered over and over as the waves of pleasure crashed through his body. Once the white hot bliss cleared, Hinata just lay there, breathing hard. He felt spent, and wasn’t that what the heat was about? You went into a sex craze, then you slept, then you had sex again – over and over for three days. How many times had he come in the last forty minutes? Three? His body was demanding sleep. His alphas sensed that because he found his underwear being pulled off again. Before Tsukki could get up to get him a fresh pair, Hinata reached backwards and grabbed his hand, pulling him back down and his arm around his body, ‘’leave it,’’ he murmured.

Hinata couldn’t believe he hadn’t been forced into anything but now that he thought about it, it made sense. Yamaguchi had been right. These were his friends and they cared about him – at least their alpha instincts did. He felt a rush of pleasant warmth go through him as they all settled down, Tsukki resting his head atop Hinata’s, Hinata nuzzling his face into Kageyama’s neck, their legs tangled together, their arms around his protectively. Hinata fell into a deep, sweet sleep completely relaxed, knowing his mates wouldn’t hurt him.

*~*~*

Yamaguchi stood over the sleeping trio, feeling pain bloom in his heart. They looked so peaceful, all curled up together, and he felt so...un-needed. With the two being pretty hostile to the omega, it was like him and Hinata against the world – and now he had been replaced. He knew that was a stupid way to put it, but he couldn’t help thinking that. Deflated, he put the green box of Aphasic on the night stand, along with a bottle of water. If Hinata wanted to take the meds, he could when he woke up, but it didn’t look like he would. It wasn’t even that late, but it was dark and Yamaguchi felt miserable enough to go to sleep – plus he didn’t want to be awake to hear whatever the hell the three did together. He doubted it was sex.

Beneath the miserable jealousy and sadness, Yamaguchi was also relieved Hinata was okay. At least he looked okay, if he was peacefully cuddling with Kageyama and Tsukki. He’d never fall asleep next to them if he didn’t feel safe. As quietly as possible, Yamaguchi grabbed fresh PJs from the wardrobe and padded to the downstairs bathroom. He fell asleep on the couch.

*~*~*

The heat only lasted two days. That Wednesday and the Thursday, Kageyama, Hinata and Tsukki missed school. Yamaguchi called in for them. On Thursday, the three did pretty much the same thing – Hinata grinded against them and they helped him get off, sometimes getting off themselves. Hinata didn’t take his meds, since he wasn’t in any pain. Yamaguchi stayed clear of the bedroom, bringing food and water and keeping to himself. He wished Hinata’s heat hadn’t come in the middle of the week, so he could at least go to work and forget about his mates upstairs. He finished an entire TV show in hopes of steering his thoughts away from them.

Hinata’s heat finished abruptly in the middle of the night on Thursday, around midnight. Hinata woke up first, feeling spent but satisfied and, thankfully, not horny at all. He untangled himself from Tsukki and Kageyama, pushing memories of what happened away. He could feel embarrassed about it all when he wasn’t bone-tired. He took a long shower, washed every bit of his body, glad that his thighs weren’t sticky for the first time in two days, and padded back to the room. He was disappointed to see that Kageyama had woken up and was now back in his armchair, breathing deeply, as if he hadn’t just spent two days cuddled up with Tsukishima and Hinata in the bed. Tsukishima was gone, too, but before Hinata could even wonder where he went, the doors to the bedroom opened and Tsukki came back in. His eyes weren’t glowing anymore, back to their pleasant hazel, and he had a sleepy Yamaguchi by the hand.

‘’Yamaguchi,’’ Hinata murmured, stopping him in the middle of the room to hug him.

Yamaguchi wrapped his arms around Hinata sleepily, dropping a kiss on top of his head, ‘’heat over?’’

‘’Mmmh.’’

‘’Feel better?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata glanced up at him, ‘’why didn’t you come sleep with us?’’

Yamaguchi shrugged, ‘’I didn’t want to disturb you.’’

Hinata saw sadness in Yamaguchi’s eyes and a whole world of misery flooded him as he hugged Yamaguchi tightly, ‘’you wouldn’t have. I promise,’’ he whispered heatedly.

Yamaguchi hugged him tightly and led him to the bed, where Tsukki waited. To his surprise, Tsukki patted the spot next to him while looking at Yamaguchi. The freckled beta got in the middle and Hinata immediately pressed himself to his chest, wrapping his legs around Yamaguchi’s and burying his face in his neck. All the sadness disappeared when the tiny omega fell asleep against him, and any residue was gone when Tsukki gathered Yamaguchi to his chest and hugged him around the waist. Yamaguchi forgot what he had been so sad about; except there was still an aching spot somewhere in him, because Kageyama was, once more, separated from them.


	14. We Found Our Sweet Disaster in a River of Champagne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT   
> THIS IS THE CHAPTER I WANTED TO WRITE FOR AGES   
> Unfortunately, it's spread into two parts, because I'm a bit tired and it's gotten a bit long...so this is kind of the build up bit - the sexual, better bits are coming in part two ;) I'll update the 'second half' of this chapter in the next few days, so fear not.   
> Thank y'all for the support - the amount of it that I get is absolutely mad, thank y'all so much!

Kageyama had never really liked his birthdays. His family insisted on buying cake and forced him to stand, embarrassed, in front of singing relatives. He was perfectly content on the 22nd of December with the nice breakfast Yamaguchi cooked up that Friday before school and an invitation for all four of them to Noya’s New Year’s party that he got on snapchat (which he now used constantly). He was also content with not receiving a ‘happy birthday’ from his mates – in his experience, his birthdays were always an embarrassing affair and he hated being the centre of attention. That Friday, he got home first – there was no practice. He wanted to practice anyway, of course, but Tsukki said he was going to do a one-on-one with Hinata, so Kageyama had no choice but to go home. Yamaguchi was out – probably getting groceries. Kageyama sat on the couch, turned on the TV and enjoyed being alone for once.

Being alone lasted too long. After about two hours without his mates in the house, Kageyama got agitated. It was getting rapidly dark outside, as it did in the winter. Soon it would start to snow. After three hours, Kageyama had enough. He picked up his phone and found Hinata’s number. Just then, the kitchen doors opened and he heard his mates come in, the rapid pat of Hinata’s feet on the floor as he jogged on the spot to warm up and something clinking. Kageyama turned the TV off, ‘’guys?’’ he called.

Yamaguchi appeared in the doorway leading to the kitchen, grinning. His freckled cheeks were reddened from the cold adorably and he lifted a plastic bag in triumph, ‘’guess what we have for you?’’

Kageyama groaned internally – so they hadn’t forgotten about his birthday after-all. Yamaguchi dug into the bag and pulled out a massive bottle of Smirnoff. Tsukki appeared behind him, looming in the doorway like a giant, ‘’we have two more of those,’’ he said and Kageyama was surprised to see him actually look _giddy_. So surprised that he didn’t tell them that he wasn’t in the mood, as they hopped onto the square couch with him, occupying opposite corners, their fluffy-socks-clad feet meeting in the middle. Hinata came skipping in, looking excited and managing to hold four glasses of various shapes and sizes. Yamaguchi set down the Smirnoff and produced the second bottle, equally big.

‘’Um, guys...’’ Kageyama started, ‘’thanks, and all, but...I don’t really like birthdays...or alcohol, so we could just...’’

‘’Shut up,’’ Tsukki said but there was no bite in his words; in fact, he smiled at Kageyama. A proper smile that made him shut up, as ordered, ‘’it’s your birthday. You’re turning nineteen. You don’t like cake or presents, as Hinata has told us. So we’re going to drink.’’

‘’We want to spend time together,’’ Yamaguchi added gently, putting the third bottle next to the other two. Kageyama sighed, but nodded, and looked dubiously at Yamaguchi who serenely pulled out a six-pack on top of the vodka.  It was quickly joined by a can of whipped cream, the half finished ketchup bottle from the fridge, a lemon, a small jar of mustard and nothing to chase the alcohol with – Kageyama was growing more and more concerned by the second.

‘’Um...’’

‘’We thought just drinking is boring,’’ Hinata perked up, bouncing on his end of the couch so that the empty glasses around him fell over, ‘’so we’re going to turn it into a competition. We’re going to play truth or dare – Yamaguchi has this app on his phone. And if you don’t want to do a dare or say a truth, you have to take a shot – whoever is the most drunk by the end loses and does the dishes for a week,’’ Hinata explained, barely containing his excitement.

Any other day, Kageyama would have refused. But it _was_ his birthday, and being a miserable git when you were turning nineteen was a bit... plus, Hinata looked so excited. And to be honest, it did sound a little fun – more fun than watching TV and going to sleep on his cramped armchair. Most importantly – Kageyama could not lose. He nodded again, ‘how are we doing this?’’

 Yamaguchi dug his phone from his back pocket, ‘’like Hinata said, we’ve got an app. We’ll just go clockwise. You can pick truth or dare, but you can’t pick it twice in a row. The app will tell us the truth or the dare,’’ Yamaguchi looked a little mischievous as he grinned at Kageyama, ‘’and since it’s your birthday, you’re going first.’’

Kageyama took the challenge head on, ‘’fine. Truth.’’

‘’Pussy!’’ Hinata yelled immediately. Kageyama flipped him off, and Yamaguchi pressed the button on his app. A question popped up.

‘ _’How far have you gone with a girl?_ ’’ Yamaguchi read out and looked up expectantly at Kageyama.

‘’Um...kissing, I think?’’

‘’Pussy!’’ Hinata yelled again and Tsukki smirked.

Kageyama glared at the ginger, ‘’alright, how far did you go, then, smartass?’’

‘’It’s not my turn!’’ Hinata said defiantly and stuck his tongue out at the setter. Kageyama made a move like he wanted to get Hinata in a headlock but Yamaguchi stopped them.

‘’Okay, okay, it’s Hinata’s turn anyway!’’

‘’Dare,’’ Hinata said, giving the sulking Kageyama a high-and-mighty look.

Yamaguchi clicked the button, ‘ _’Kiss someone_.’’

Hinata blinked, ‘’oh...um...’’

‘’Ha! Pussy!’’ Kageyama yelled defiantly.

Now it was Hinata’s turn to sulk, ‘’like, do I get to choose...or...?’’

‘’Let’s spin a bottle,’’ Tsukki reached over the edge of the square couch and picked his laptop off the floor, setting it in the middle. He put one of the unopened vodka bottles on it and spun. The bottle spun with a gritting noise as it moved against the surface of the laptop and pointed to Tsukki, who kissed his teeth, ‘’okay, that’s just gravity. It doesn’t count.’’

‘’Yes it does!’’ Yamaguchi protested with a grin and clicked his finger at Tsukki, ‘’go on, Hinata.’’

Everyone expected Hinata to stutter and blush his way through the affair. Instead, he shuffled across the couch towards Tsukishima, picked up his hand and pressed a deliberate, loud peck to the back of it. He glowered at Kageyama victoriously, ‘’app didn’t say where I should kiss him.’’

‘’You’re smarter than you look,’’ Tsukki said with a grin, clearly relieved not to have to kiss in front of everyone. Hinata returned to his place.

Yamaguchi chuckled, shaking his head, ‘’my turn. I want a truth as well,’’ he pressed the button.

‘’How come no one is calling him a pussy?’’ Kageyama grumbled under his breath.

‘ _’Who would you never ever have sex with?_ ’’ Yamaguchi frowned, ‘’like, here, or generally?’’

‘’I think generally,’’ Hinata shrugged, ‘’the choice is pretty limited here, after all.’’

‘’Um, okay...’’ Yamaguchi thought about that, ‘’oh, I know! I would never have sex with Takeda-sensei.’’

Hinata looked surprised, ‘’how come? If you look at it, there’s much worse people out there.’’

‘’Yeah, but Takeda-sensei is already having sex with coach Ukai,’’ Tsukki said bluntly and Hinata snorted.

‘’And coach is pretty scary sometimes. I wouldn’t want him on my case for having sex with his mate. Plus, he’s my teacher – gross,’’ Yamaguchi grinned, ‘’Tsukki, truth or dare?’’

‘’Truth. Let’s start light,’’ he said confidently.

‘’As you wish,’’ Yamaguchi looked at the screen of his phone, ‘ _’have you ever watched fifty shades of grey?_ ’’

Kageyama and Hinata snorted under their noses but Tsukki stared them down, ‘’no. I refuse to watch that crap.’’

‘’Fair enough,’’ Yamaguchi said in a voice that suggested he’d heard that argument before – probably in a debate where Yamaguchi wanted to see the movie with Tsukki, ‘’it’s back to Kageyama, and this time you need to pick a dare.’’

‘’Fine.’’

Yamaguchi clicked the button, ‘ _’take a selfie with someone and post it._ ’’

‘’Aw. I expected something hardcore,’’ Hinata whined.

‘’Tough luck, dumbass,’’ Kageyama spun the bottle, ‘’at this rate none of us will drink.’’ The bottle pointed to Yamaguchi, so Kageyama took out his phone, since Yamaguchi’s was being used for game purposes. So far, so good – no one was winning, but Kageyama wasn’t losing, either. He shuffled over to Yamaguchi, ‘’here, you take it,’’ he passed the beta his phone and looked expectantly at the screen. Yamaguchi positioned the phone, angled it at their faces...and at the last second turned, placing a kiss on Kageyama’s cheek and snapping the photo. Kageyama jerked back, surprised, and Hinata lost it, laughing so hard he couldn’t bring. Even Tsukki chuckled.

‘’Your face!’’ Hinata cried.

Yamaguchi immediately backed away from Kageyama so he couldn’t yank the phone out of his hands, ‘’oh my god, it’s so cute,’’ he said, grinning, ‘’Kageyama, you look so surprised!’’ Kageyama growled at him but Yamaguchi ignored him, tapping away, putting on the right effects and posting the picture on their joint account. He clicked the phone off and handed it tentatively to Kageyama, ‘’promise not to delete it?’’ he asked sweetly.

Kageyama sighed, ‘’fine.’’ He put away his phone and returned to his place.

‘’Ok. Hinata, your turn. Ready?’’

‘’It’s got to be truth now,’’ Hinata was still fighting the giggles.

Yamaguchi glanced at his screen, ‘ _’what is the worst thing you’ve ever eaten?_ ’’

Hinata didn’t even have to think about it. He just gave Kageyama a grim look, ‘’festival, first year. Enough said.’’

Tsukki looked mildly surprised, ‘’you two went to a festival together?’’

‘’Yeah, end of the first year. It was half volleyball, half something else, with a concert at the end,’’ Kageyama said.

‘’And after the matches we decided to walk around and there were these, like, pork buns. Except they weren’t pork, they were ‘thanksgiving’. And inside it was something called ‘stuffing’ and some kind of meat and, like, jam? Oh god, it was so gross.’’ Hinata made a face at the memory.

‘’I told you not to eat it,’’ Kageyama said.

‘’Americans do it all the time!’’ Hinata grumbled, and waved a hand at Yamaguchi, ‘’next!’’

Yamaguchi smiled at his impatience. At this point they were all a bit eager to start drinking – except maybe him. He didn’t like the taste of alcohol, ‘’here we go. Dare – _kiss someone’s forehead_ ,’’ he smiled again, ‘’that’s sweet.’’

Hinata pointed towards the vodka ceremoniously, ‘’spin the bottle!’’

Yamaguchi did. It landed on Tsukki, who didn’t seem bothered at all, ‘’am I coming over, or are you?’’

‘’Hmmm...I will!’’ Yamaguchi decided and crawled through the small space separating them, sitting back on his heels, ‘’hi,’’ he said, slightly giddy. He’d never given Tsukki a kiss, past that one time on his birthday, when he’d been high on happiness.

‘’Hi,’’ Tsukki replied. Yamaguchi pushed back his blond hair and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his forehead. Tsukki was smiling when the beta pulled back – genuinely smiling, ‘’I feel like I have been blessed,’’ he declared.

‘’Mama Yamaguchi will protect you,’’ Hinata said seriously.

‘’Reblog for good luck,’’ Yamaguchi added, returning to his place.

‘’What’s ‘reblog’?’’ Kageyama mumbled and the guys laughed.

‘’Don’t worry,’’ Tsukki shook his head, ‘’my turn. Dare.’’

Yamaguchi clicked the button, ‘’oh, this is frisky – _take off_ all _your clothes, and run outside for five minutes._ ’’

Hinata exploded with laughter. Kageyama made a face, ‘’I don’t want to see that!’’

‘’Yeah, and I don’t want to do that. It’s cold,’’ Tsukki reached for one of the Smirnoff vodkas that wasn’t being used as a bottle spinner and leaned over to grab a fat, chunky glass, ‘’guess I’m the first drink of the night.’’ They all watched with a kind of reverence as Tsukki poured himself a solid shot at the bottom of his glass and downed it in one swig. He cringed, swallowing, ‘’we really need orange juice,’’ he said finally. Hinata grinned but before he could open his mouth, Tsukki pointed at him accusingly, ‘’don’t say ‘pussy’ till you drink yourself.’’

‘’I think you’re very hardcore, Tsukki,’’ Yamaguchi said mock-seriously.

‘’Shut up, Yamaguchi.’’ Tsukki flipped him off and grinned.

‘’Birthday boy again!’’ Yamaguchi said giddily, ‘’you are saved by the truth this round.’’

‘’Great.’’ Kageyama said sarcastically.

Yamaguchi read the question, ‘ _’how far have you gone with a boy?_ ’’

Kageyama stared at him blankly, ‘’I feel attacked right now. How far have you gone with a girl? How far have you gone with a boy? It’s like your phone is targeting me or something.’’

Hinata sniggered and prodded the alpha with his foot, ‘’answer the question, dumbass.’’

‘’I’ve not gone anywhere with a boy,’’ Kageyama said in defiance, ‘’not touched, not kissed, not even thought about it that way.’’

‘’Okay, Mr. 100% straight,’’ Hinata put his hands up in surrender, but felt a pang in his chest – if that was true, then that really meant the four of them could never be... ‘’don’t make me bring up what happened at my first heat with you.’’

Tsukki groaned, ‘’can we _not_ bring that up.’’

 ‘’What? Ashamed?’’ Hinata teased.

‘’I am,’’ Tsukki said seriously and Hinata’s smile fell.

He prodded the blond with his foot instead, ‘’hey. I’m kidding. We’ve sorted that out,’’ he gave Tsukki a tentative smile, ‘’are you the depressed drunk, or what?’’

‘’I’m not drunk,’’ Tsukki said, but smiled back. He tilted his outstretched leg slightly, so his foot was resting against Hinata’s.

‘’If you’re done, it’s Hinata’s turn,’’ Kageyama prompted.

‘’Right. Hinata – it’s your turn to do a dare,’’ Yamaguchi proclaimed brightly, killing the dampened atmosphere. He clicked the button, ‘’oh, that’s fun! _Tell everyone in the room three compliments._ ’’

‘’Oh no,’’ Hinata said dramatically, ‘’I need to compliment these bastards?’’ he jammed his thumb at the two alphas, ‘’it might take a while to think of something.’’

Kageyama scowled, ‘’get on with it, dumbass.’’

‘’I’ll start with Yamaguchi, cause he’s the easiest. Yamaguchi,’’ Hinata smiled brightly at the beta, and his mate beamed back, ‘’I like your hugs. They’re the best. You really give great hugs. I like you little ponytail – I think it’s cute. That hairstyle suits you. And...I really like your strong personality. You make me feel safe,’’ he mumbled the last bit, aware he’d said a bit too much. Yamaguchi flushed lightly, but his smile was genuine as he reached out to squeeze Hinata’s hand briefly.

‘’That’s because you are safe.’’

Tsukki cleared his throat to break the intimate moment, ‘’uh, right,’’ Hinata turned to the other two and pretended to think about it hard. The two flipped him off together, ‘’okay. Tsukishima. I like your hair, cause it doesn’t make me the only one with a freaky colour. I like your height cause even when you don’t try, it gives us an advantage on the battlefield. And I liked it when you spoke French – your voice sounds hell of a lot more pleasant when I can’t understand what you’re saying.’’

Tsukki gave an amused smirk, ‘ _’merci, crevettes._ ’’

That earned Tsukki a smile, as Hinata turned to Kageyama, ‘’and you, dumbass. You’re a really great setter, but you know that. I don’t think I’d be half as good without you,’’ Kageyama clearly was pleased by the compliment, ‘’I also think your eyes are nice, because I like blue. And...you’re my best friend.’’

Tsukki sniggered, ‘’that’s not really a compliment, is it?’’

‘’No, it is,’’ Kageyama said, completely serious and Hinata ducked his head to hide the blush that reddened his cheeks.

‘’Here I thought you’d actually struggle to say something nice,’’ Yamaguchi laughed, ‘’but you did a good job of raising everybody’s self esteem.’’

Hinata winked at him, ‘’that’s what I’m here for, baby.’’

Tsukki made a gagging noise, ‘’please don’t _ever_ do that again.’’

Yamaguchi smiled fondly at his mates and turned to his phone to generate himself a truth, ‘’ _if you could have one thing that someone in the room has, what would it be?’’_ he kept his head down as he answered honestly, ‘’your volleyball skills.’’

Hinata made a noise at the back of his throat, ‘’don’t say that! You were the greatest pinch server Karasuno ever had!’’

The former captain shrugged, ‘’but all I seemed to be able to do was pinch serve.’’

‘’Maybe in the first year,’’ everyone was surprised by how rough Tsukki’s voice sounded, ‘’but you got better. You weren’t our captain for nothing.’’

Yamaguchi gave a little embarrassed laugh, pushing his hair from his face, ‘’let’s not bring the mood down. I just mean that I would love to have Hinata’s speed and Kageyama’s natural talent and Tsukki’s height. That’s done; dusted. Let’s move on,’’ no one protested – it was Kageyama’s birthday after all and they were supposed to have fun, ‘’Tsukishima – here’s your question: _have you ever had sex outside?_ ’’

Kageyama cringed, ‘’I don’t think anyone in the whole school is into _that_ -‘’

But Tsukki had fallen weirdly silent.

The others gaped, ‘’wait, _what_?’’ Hinata broke the silence, ‘’you’re not a virgin?’’

Tsukki gave him a look, ‘’do I look like a virgin to you?’’

Hinata frowned, ‘’I dunno. What does a virgin look like?’’

‘’Look in the mirror,’’ Tsukki dead-panned, and smirked his usual irritating smirk.

Hinata glared at him, ‘’if I didn’t want to hear more about this, you’d be dead.’’

Tsukki shrugged, ‘’not much to tell. It was with a girl in second year. She really liked me, I didn’t really feel anything towards her, but I was hormonal, as seventeen year olds tend to do. We did it in the back of her truck, in the parking lot after dark.’’

Kageyama stared, ‘’she was _older_?’’

‘’Yeah. Fourth year, I think.’’

‘’It’s the height. I’m telling you,’’ Hinata said, accusatory.

‘’Can we please stop talking about this?’’ Tsukki asked with a sigh, ‘’next one, please.’’

Still a little stunned, Yamaguchi turned to the setter, ‘’Kageyama, truth or dare?’’

‘’Dare I think it was now.’’

Yamaguchi obediently tapped the button and grinned, ‘’ _drink three shots in one go_.’’

Kageyama looked appalled, ‘’I’ll lose the game!’’

‘’You can always refuse, and just drink one for not completing the dare,’’ Tsukki reasoned.

Hinata gave him a dark grin, ‘’but then you’ll forever be labelled as a pussy.’’

‘’No, he won’t,’’ Yamaguchi said firmly.

‘’In my eyes,’’ Hinata added.

Kageyama gritted his teeth. He didn’t really care if he lost or won against the other two – it was Hinata he wanted to beat. And if he couldn’t do this, then how could he ever argue that he won? ‘’pour,’’ he said in a deadly cold voice.

Yamaguchi sighed and extended an empty, long glass to him. He poured in as much as Tsukki had, previously, then doubled the amount, then tripled it, ‘’try not to choke,’’ he said.

Kageyama nodded, took a deep breath, tilted back his head and drank. Everyone expected him to take it slow – but instead he downed it, like Tsukki had before – smart, really. It was all gone before the taste really hit him and he coughed, and shuddered. Hinata leaned forward curiously, ‘’how is it?’’

‘’Tastes like shit,’’ Kageyama cringed and put down his glass, ‘’everything’s spinning.’’

‘’Oh, Kageyama’s going to get drunk first,’’ there was a note of glee in Tsukki’s voice.

‘’You’d get drunk too if you drank three shots at once,’’ Yamaguchi said, giving Kageyama a sympathetic look, ‘’want to keep going with the game? It is your birthday.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Kageyama nodded. His head seemed a little uncoordinated on his neck, falling unevenly and heavily.

Yamaguchi looked to his phone, ‘’Hinata’s truth – _what is your kink_?’’ he looked up, curious if Hinata had one.

The ginger looked uncertain, ‘’um...safe, consensual sex?’’ he said tentatively.

Tsukki raised an eyebrow, ‘’that’s what turns you on?’’

‘’That’s what doesn’t turn me _off_.’’

‘’I’ll take that,’’ Kageyama did the nodding thing again, with his head falling against his chest, ‘’everything’s spinning.’’

‘’Still?’’ Hinata laughed, ‘’oh my god, he’s really going to get drunk first!’’

‘’Yamaguchi, your turn!’’ Kageyama said, and his speech was the slightest bit slurred. Unsurprisingly, Kageyama couldn’t handle his alcohol very well.

‘’Right, right,’’ Yamaguchi turned back to his phone, ‘’ _eat a lemon._ That’s hardly hardcore after everything,’’ Yamaguchi shrugged and reached for the lemon, and the kitchen knife next to it. It was blunt, in case things got out of control. They’d bought a lemon to do mock-tequila shots, but it would do for this, too, ‘’am I supposed to eat all of it?’’

‘’Eat half, in case we need more lemons,’’ Tsukki advised and Yamaguchi nodded. He cut the lemon in half and pressed against the back till the flesh popped out, like a reverse ball.

‘’Here goes,’’ Yamaguchi said and pressed the lemon into his mouth, sucking out the juice. Immediately, the juice burned his throat and made his eyes water but he didn’t give up. Once done, he tossed the skin over the side of the couch, unsure if he could look at it any longer. He shuddered and cringed, ‘’I think the vodka would have been better.’’

‘’Don’t be so sure,’’ Kageyama said. He’d pulled his legs into a lotus position and was swaying gently.

‘’Tsukki, here’s your dare,’’ Yamaguchi clicked the button, ‘’ _eat a flower_.’’

‘’Is that safe?’’ Tsukki frowned.

‘’You shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach,’’ Kageyama swayed to the left enough to bump against Tsukki.

‘’ _You_ shouldn’t drink _at all_ ,’’ Tsukki pushed him upright, ‘’where am I supposed to get a flower from, anyway?’’

‘’You could have one of mine?’’ Yamaguchi suggested. Upstairs, the windowsill and desk were adorned with his potted plants, ‘’but only one little one.’’

‘’Kay, fine,’’ Tsukki jumped over the edge of the couch, ‘’a flower can’t be worse than that shit in a bottle.’’ He disappeared for a minute, in which Yamaguchi and Hinata watched Kageyama swaying gently in amusement. Who knew he was such a light weight? Tsukki came thundering down the stairs and stopped in front of the couch, showing them a tiny pink flower pinched between his fingers. Kageyama clapped. Tsukki made a show of putting it on his tongue and biting down. He looked at the ceiling, chewing and swallowing, ‘’doesn’t really have a taste, but the texture is weird. Definitely better than the vodka.’’

Yamaguchi smiled, watching Tsukki come back to the couch and settle down, ‘’Kageyama, ready for your truth?’’ Kageyama did his funny nod and Yamaguchi chuckled under his breath, ‘’ _who would you have sex with in the room, if you had to?_ ’’

The air grew heavy with anticipation of what Kageyama would say, but the setter just shook his head and mutely extended his glass. Hinata poured his shot, a little disappointed, ‘’I don’t know if it’s smart to give him more,’’ Yamaguchi said gently.

‘’I can hear you!’’ Kageyama protested.

‘’That’s the rules,’’ Tsukki shrugged, ‘’besides, what kind of birthday is it if you don’t get shit faced?’’

Kageyama raised his glass in agreement and downed the shot, cringing as much as before, ‘’let’s continue! I’m winning!’’

‘’You’re losing,’’ Tsukki said, reaching over to press the button for Yamaguchi, but even he couldn’t help but smile at the way Kageyama lost all attitudes and walls to alcohol. It was endearing, his tipsy behaviour. Secretly, Tsukki wanted to see more.

Yamaguchi read out Hinata’s truth, ‘’ _tell everyone in the room something that annoys you about them.’’_

Hinata rubbed his hands together, ‘’now _this_ is going to be fun,’’ he looked at Tsukki.

The blond reached out for the six pack of beer and yanked one out, ‘’I’m going to need alcohol for this,’’ he said, cracking open the can and taking a healthy gulp.

‘’Tsukki, I think it’s really annoying how you act like you don’t care about anything, when clearly you care because you’ve been at the volleyball club for four years, and you’ve been our friends for four years and you care about a lot of things,’’ Hinata prattled off, ‘’and your attitude is really annoying since everyone knows you care, but you act like you don’t.’’

Tsukki shrugged, ‘’it’s just my personality. Deal with it.’’

‘’Wish I didn’t have to,’’ Hinata grumbled and turned to Kageyama, ‘’I find it really annoying when you won’t toss to me when you’re in a bad mood, or when I don’t spike a ball well. You act like you’re so much better than me, but we’re a team.’’

‘’Yes we are,’’ Kageyama nodded solemnly and whatever bitterness was coming out with Hinata’s confessions seemed to disappear.

He turned to Yamaguchi, ‘’and there’s one thing that annoys me about you,’’ he said to his beta, ‘’that you don’t see how amazing you are,’’ he gave Yamaguchi a gentle smile, ‘’because you really are.’’

‘’What is this, Yamaguchi appreciation day?’’ the beta asked, but he smiled lovingly at Hinata, ‘’let’s not get sappy. It’s my turn...’’


	15. My Perfect Rock Bottom, My Beautiful Trauma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HI LADS MY COMMENT SECTION BLEW UP AFTER PART 1 SO HERE'S PART 2 THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT YAS YAS

‘’It’s my turn,’’ Yamaguchi announced, and clicked the button on the app on his phone. It was his turn to do truth – or so he figured. It was hard keeping track, ‘’ _how many people have you kissed?_ ’’

Hinata leaned forward curiously and even Tsukki seemed to want to know the answer. Yamaguchi mulled the question over in his head, ‘’does Hinata count?’’

‘’Heck yeah I count!’’ Hinata proclaimed.

‘’Like, three, then?’’ Yamaguchi thought about it, ‘’maybe four?’’

Tsukki looked mildly irritated, ‘’how come you didn’t tell me?’’

‘’Cause he doesn’t have to tell you anything, bigfoot,’’ Kageyama said and snorted as Tsukki glared at him.

‘’I dunno, it just happened,’’ Yamaguchi shrugged, ‘’in our third year at parties, mostly. And once in the second year.’’

‘’Was it boys or girls?’’ Hinata asked with a lewd smile.

Yamaguchi playfully swatted at him, but couldn’t reach, ‘’I already answered my question,’’ but then he relented, ‘’both.’’ Hinata waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Yamaguchi sighed, ‘’are we done? Let’s move on, before Kageyama sobers up.’’ They all preferred to have Kageyama open and soft than hard to figure out, like he usually was without alcohol. Maybe they’d force him to take shots before breakfast so they’d have this pleasant side of Kageyama more often, ‘’Tsukki, truth or dare?’’

‘’Truth,’’ of course Tsukki remembered which one he was supposed to do.

Yamaguchi laughed at his screen, ‘’oh my god... _who do you think has the largest dick in the group?_ ’’

‘’Me, obviously,’’ Tsukki scoffed.

Kageyama put his finger in the air, ‘’I beg to differ.’’

‘’Hand down, king. I’m the tallest. Thus I have the biggest package. It’s the laws of nature.’’

‘’Actually, apparently if you’re tall you have a small dick,’’ Yamaguchi said innocently.

‘’I thought you were on my side,’’ Tsukki dead-panned, ‘’I think I have the biggest dick, cause Hinata’s short and Kageyama’s probably shrivelled up from all the brooding and Yamaguchi is a _pussy_.’’

Yamaguchi just chuckled but Kageyama looked offended. He was a little red on the face from the vodka and it made him look...much softer than usual, ‘’I thought _I_ was the pussy of the group!’’ he looked genuinely distressed by the fact that someone stole his spot.

‘’You certainly are,’’ Tsukki said with a straight face, before exploding into laughter.

‘’Ok, ok, my turn!’’ Kageyama didn’t seem to realise that he’d just been insulted, and waved his hand impatiently at Yamaguchi. Tsukki sipped his beer and when no one was looking, he passed the can to Kageyama, to keep him blissfully tipsy. Kageyama down half the can in one go.

Yamaguchi checked his phone, ‘’Kageyama, here’s your dare: _switch tops with someone for the rest of the game_.’’

‘’Oooh, who will it be?’’ Kageyama put his hand on the unopened bottle of vodka waiting to be spun on Tsukki’s laptop and set it in motion with a jerky movement. The bottle nearly spun off the laptop and eventually pointed to Hinata, ‘’shirt off!’’ Kageyama demanded, yanking off his white sweater.

Hinata shuffled out of his long-sleeve, scowling, ‘’you’re going to stretch it out.’’ As soon as his head cleared the shirt, Kageyama’s sweater hit him in the face. Hinata tossed his top towards Kageyama with the same amount of force but the setter caught it out of the air.

He held it up dubiously, ‘’I don’t think I’ll fit,’’ he was definitely much taller than Hinata and broad enough in the shoulders that the shirt would forever hang loose on the spiker, ‘’here, I’ll take a shot and not stretch Hinata’s top,’’ he extended his glass and Tsukki poured him a generous amount. He saluted Hinata with the glass, ‘’know my good heart,’’ he tipped the glass back.

Hinata giggled and pulled Kageyama’s jumper onto himself. It was still warm from his body and it smelled pleasantly of him. In all their years together, Hinata had never realised that Kageyama had a very specific smell – like forests and deodorant and something deeper, muskier that made Hinata shiver and tuck his hands into the too-long sleeves. The jumper was pleasantly too big, almost like a blanket. He glanced at Kageyama – the raven, in turn, had opted out of his t-shirt. Hinata had seen Kageyama shirtless countless times but it was just...so _nice_. Kageyama had a body that was nice to look out, well sculpted and pale and perfectly proportioned.

Hinata tore his eyes away from Kageyama to Yamaguchi, who was already generating a truth for him, ‘’ _have you ever had a crush on a friend’s sibling?_ ’’

Hinata shrugged, ‘’you three are my closest friends, and Tsukishima’s the only one with a sibling.’’

Tsukki choked on his beer, ‘’you had a crush on Akiteru!?’’

‘’No! Heck no!’’ Hinata protested, ‘’I mean, he’s cute and all-‘’

‘’WHAT!?’’

‘’I don’t have a crush on your brother, Jesus!’’ Hinata said, flushing hard. Kageyama and Yamaguchi exploded with laughter while Tsukki stared at him uncertainly.

‘’You su-‘’

‘’Yes, I’m sure! Can we drop this, please?’’ now Hinata was laughing, too, affected by his mates, ‘’it’s so weird to talk about your brother.’’

‘’Tell me about it,’’ there was still mild horror in Tsukki’s voice, ‘’Yamaguchi, your turn.’’

‘’Right,’’ still giggling, Yamaguchi pressed the button, ‘’oh – _do a blowjob shot_.’’

Kageyama’s face turned red – and not from the alcohol, ‘’we h-have stuff like that here!?’’ he spluttered.

‘’Relax, Kageyama,’’ Yamaguchi laughed, ‘’it’s not that type of blowjob. Tsukki, you know how to make?’’

‘’It’s going to be hard without a shot glass.’’

‘’I have one,’’ Hinata produced it from where he had hid it behind a couch pillow, ‘’I only found one and I was low-key saving it for myself, because drinking alcohol is so much better with a shot glass,’’ he extended it to Yamaguchi, ‘’but I’ll give it to you.’’

‘’Aw, thanks,’’ Yamaguchi took the glass and tossed it to Tsukki, who set his beer between his knees where it balanced precariously. Kageyama watched, fascinated, as Tsukki poured the shot, ‘’this is going to be a little gross. It would be much better with Baileys. You sure you don’t want to just drink a normal shot?’’

‘’Pour on the cream,’’ Yamaguchi said confidently. It was his first drink of the night and he was secretly buzzing to try the vodka. Tsukishima reached for the can of whipped cream, shook it and sprayed a generous amount on top of the vodka. The mixing of white half-solid with the see-through Smirnoff looked disgusting, but Yamaguchi took the shot from Tsukki anyway, ‘’here I go,’’ he pressed the rim of the shot glass into his mouth, clamped his teeth around the glass, let go of it with his hands and tipped his head back, letting the burning liquid and soothing cream run down his throat. He resisted the urge to cough or gag and straightened himself, letting the glass drop into his hand.

‘’So that’s a blowjob shot...’’ Kageyama said in awe.

‘’I was always shit at those,’’ Tsukishima gave Yamaguchi a grin that suggested this wasn’t the first time they did blowjob shots in each other’s presence.

‘’It’s time for you dare, Tsukki,’’ Yamaguchi sing-songed, pressing the button, ‘’ah, classic – _switch socks with someone else._ ’’

Hinata reached out to spin the bottle but Tsukki made a face, ‘’nope. No way. Not happening. Keep your disgusting socks away from me.’’

Hinata snorted, ‘’what, you’re really going to take a shot over _socks_?’’

‘’I don’t want your fungus,’’ Tsukki said defensively.

‘’You’re just trying to catch up to me cause I’m winning!’’ the others hadn’t realised the slur had been fading from Kageyama’s voice – now, after the beer and the shot it was back, almost like an adorable lisp.

‘’You’re los- oh, never mind,’’ Tsukki shook his head, poured himself a shot and knocked it back. They were nearly done with their first bottle and Hinata felt a little hardcore, even though he hadn’t had any yet. He nodded at Yamaguchi, ‘’come on. It’s the turn of the king.’’

‘’Truth. Kageyama, ready?’’ Yamaguchi asked and Kageyama nodded solemnly. There was a slight surprised tremble in Yamaguchi’s voice as he read out the question – almost as if he was nervous asking, ‘’ _how long is your dick_?’’

Kageyama scoffed, ‘’it’s like this game is directed at men. What if I was a girl? What if I don’t have a dick?’’

‘’I wouldn’t be surprised,’’ Tsukki muttered under his breath.

‘’Answer the question!’’ Hinata prompted, a little too eagerly.

‘’No way,’’ Kageyama waved his glass in the air.

Tsukki side-eyed him, ‘’now you’re just copying me.’’

‘’I just don’t want to share p-personal details,’’ Kageyama gave a little adorable hiccup that made all of Tsukki’s retorts fall out of his mind. Kageyama waved the glass again, ‘’are you pouring, or what?’’

‘’Fine, fine,’’ Tsukki poured his shot and Kageyama drank it like it was juice.

‘’Dare!’’ Hinata said, hiding his disappointment at a lack of answer from Kageyama.

‘’ _Drink a glass of salt water_ ,’’ Yamaguchi read out.

‘’To be honest,’’ Hinata glanced at the last bit of vodka in the first bottle, ‘’I’d rather drink that than salt water. They’re both disgusting.’’

Tsukki passed him the bottle, ‘’you just want a drink cause you haven’t had any.’’

‘’Nothing wrong with that,’’ Hinata shrugged, uncapped the bottle and tipped the last of it into his mouth. It burned on the entry but Hinata was pretty accustomed to drinking vodka by now – one too many vodka-pongs with Noya had conditioned him to the taste, ‘’Yamaguchi, I think it’s your turn to say a truth.’’

Yamaguchi hummed in agreement and pressed the button, ‘’ _what is your hard limit?_ ’’

‘’What’s your what?’’ Kageyama looked at him, confused.

‘’What’s a ‘hard limit’?’’ Hinata asked.

Yamaguchi tried to explain as casually as he could so he wouldn’t blush, ‘’it’s like in sex, when you try out different things, like handcuffs and stuff. A soft limit is something you don’t want to do now, but would want to try in the future, but a hard limit is something you would never-ever do.’’

Hinata stared, ‘’how do you _know that_!?’’

‘’I read a lot,’’ Yamaguchi said defensively, blushing after all.

‘’So what’s your hard limit?’’ Tsukki asked.

‘’Um...not sure,’’ Yamaguchi said, ‘’like, I have a lot...blood, for example. Actually, anything involving bodily fluids. And pain. I don’t like pain.’’

Tsukki sniggered, ‘’so no spanking.’’

‘’I can deal with spanking,’’ Yamaguchi gave him a look, ‘’just, like...spanking and flogging a stuff.’’

‘’I told you not to watch fifty shades of Grey!’’ Tsukki laughed.

Hinata pressed his hands to his ears, ‘’can we stop talking about blood and flogging and whatnot? I haven’t drunk nearly enough vodka for this.’’

‘’Okay, Tsukki, truth,’’ Yamaguchi checked his phone, ‘’ _who has the nicest eyes?_ Oh, thank god, I was expecting something really bad.’’

‘’Nicest eyes?’’

‘’And you can’t say yourself, Tsukishima!’’ Hinata yelled.

Tsukki glanced around the room, and finally stopped at Kageyama to his left. He leaned closer, peering into his slightly clouded blue eyes. Suddenly Kageyama leaned forward, with a very serious face, and leaned his forehead on Tsukki’s, staring at him with a light pout. Tsukki dissolved into laughter at how serious Kageyama was, ‘’yes, fine. It’s you, Kageyama. You have the nicest eyes.’’

‘’I agree with that,’’ Kageyama said solemnly and gave a tentative, tipsy smile when Tsukki kept laughing.

‘’Kageyama, you’re going to have to pull away long enough to do you dare,’’ Yamaguchi chuckled fondly and Kageyama pulled away, read, ‘’ _suck on someone’s tongue._ ’’

This time Hinata didn’t move to spin the bottle. He watched Kageyama. As predicted, the tipsy raven shook his head, ‘’I’d rather suck on vodka,’’ he declared and Tsukki obediently poured him a shot from the newly opened bottle. It wasn’t surprising that Kageyama chose the penalty – it would have been a shock if he actually decided to suck on someone’s tongue. But apparently he wasn’t drunk enough for that.

As Kageyama drank his shot, Yamaguchi turned to Hinata with his question, ‘’ _which base did you get to?’’_

Hinata fidgeted, ‘’what...um, what bases are there?’’

‘’First is kissing,’’ Yamaguchi explained, ‘’second is blowjob, I think-‘’

‘’First,’’ Hinata squeaked out, ‘’and, uh...just with you.’’

Yamaguchi stared at him, ‘’no way! You’ve never made out with anyone?’’

‘’I just didn’t feel like it,’’ Hinata was blushing. Yamaguchi’s heart was thundering...he’d been the first to nearly make out with Hinata, his first kiss. He felt a little giddy inside and he couldn’t stop the grin that forced itself onto his face.

‘’That’s good. That’s great. Really. You do you. Don’t be embarrassed,’’ he forced his heart to stop beating super fast, ‘’A-anyway...’’ he checked the screen for his truth, ‘’ _have you ever had a crush on a friend’s partner?_ ’’ he glanced around his friends, ‘’no, because you losers haven’t ever dated anyone’’ there was no bite in his words, just a fondness.

‘’Hey!’’ Kageyama protested, ‘’I’m not a loser!’’

‘’Yeah, we know, you’re a pussy,’’ Tsukki snorted.

‘’And you’re a dick...’’ Kageyama slurred out.

‘’I won’t argue with that,’’ Tsukki said brightly and the others realised that, just maybe, Tsukki was getting tipsy. He had cracked open a second beer – maybe a little more than just a little. He was just better at hiding it than Kageyama, ‘’can I have my dare, Yamaguchi?’’

‘’Give someone a blowjob.’’ Yamaguchi deadpanned.

Tsukki scoffed, sipped his beer, ‘’be serious.’’

‘’I am,’’ Yamaguchi laughed, showing him the screen, ‘’that’s what it says!’’

Tsukki squinted at the phone, the light reflected in his glasses and grumbled something, pouring himself another shot and drinking it. No one had expected him to do it, but Yamaguchi still found himself slightly disappointed. It would have been interesting, considering that all the good dares were being exchange for penalties. And if the bottle had landed on him... ‘’Kageyama – _what do you like about the person opposite you?_ ’’

‘’What do I- Oh! That’s you!’’ Kageyama cried like an excited kid. He didn’t even think long, ‘’I like your freckles. I _really_ like you’re freckles.’’

Yamaguchi blushed. He’d always been sensitive about his freckles. People used to make fun of them. He knew Tsukki liked them, and Hinata, too – but hearing Kageyama say it made his heart beat faster all over again, ‘’t-thanks, um...Hinata, truth or dare?’’

‘’Dare!’’

Yamaguchi tapped his phone, glad not to be the centre of attention. Kageyama cracked open a beer and no one stopped him, ‘’oh, are you for real? _Give someone a handjob._ ’’

‘’That’s already been!’’ Kageyama protested, swaying from side to side.

‘’No, that was a blowjob,’’ Tsukki said calmly. His eyes were slightly glazed over as he finished his second beer.

‘’I want my second shot, thanks!’’ Hinata said, and Yamaguchi obediently poured him another. At this rate, he’d be stuck taking care of three drunken idiots. Hinata drank his alcohol. They were nearly halfway through the second bottle.

‘’Yamaguchi, it’s your turn to do a dare!’’ Kageyama prompted.

Yamaguchi obediently clicked the screen and read out his dare, ‘’ _sit on someone’s lap for the rest of the game._ ’’

‘’Oooooh~’’ Hinata giggled.

‘’Is he going to do it?’’ Kageyama leaned forward.

Yamaguchi nodded, and grinned. Tsukki spun the bottle and it went in two circles, before landing on him. This time, he didn’t complain about gravity, ‘’you can still back out!’’ Kageyama waved the vodka bottle encouragingly.

‘’Why would I?’’ Yamaguchi said, as casually as he could, and crawled over to Tsukki. He expected Tsukki to be reluctant, make up excuses, say Yamaguchi was heavy or quit the game altogether...but instead, his best friend moved his legs so that Yamaguchi could easily sit across his lap. Yamaguchi put it down to the alcohol, even as Tsukki moved the hand not holding his beer to Yamaguchi’s waits, keeping him in place. Yamaguchi tried to put it all down to the alcohol – even the way Tsukki gently brushed his thumb against a patch of skin where Yamaguchi’s sweater had hiked up, caressing him – but he was blushing as he tapped his phone.

‘’So, uh, Tsukki...’’ he tilted the phone so that Tsukki could read the question and reached backwards, for one of the three leftover beers.

‘’ _What’s your soft limit?_ ’’

‘’Oh, I know what that is!’’ Hinata said, and giggled. When had he taken a beer as well?

‘’Yeah, cause Yamaguchi explained it to you!’’ Tsukki laughed and his fingers slid slightly up, venturing more under Yamaguchi’s jumper. Before, the fact that Tsukki’s hand landed on bare skin could have been accidental. Now the movement of his hand was very deliberate, ‘’let’s see...soft limit,’’ he thought about it for a moment, ‘’there’s a lot of thing I wanna try.’’ Yeah, Tsukki was definitely more than a little tipsy. No way in hell was he ever this open without alcohol, ‘’like...handcuffs? Or blindfolds?’’

‘’Oh my god, you _have_ watched fifty shades of Grey!’’ Yamaguchi squealed, giggling. He downed half his beer as Tsukki glared at him.

‘’I have not.’’

‘’Mmmmh, right,’’ Yamaguchi teased.

 ‘’I haven’t,’’ Tsukki repeated and his hand slid fully under Yamaguchi’s jumper, resting against the small of his back. That shut the beta right up, ‘’Kageyama, your turn,’’ Tsukki clicked the button for Yamaguchi. Kageyama had been mostly quiet, swaying from the alcohol and listening to the conversation, ‘’here’s your dare – _give someone a two minute hug._ ’’

‘’Oh, I’ll get the timer!’’ Hinata offered as Kageyama shrugged. The beer made it possible for him to accept the dare and he spun the bottle of Smirnoff. It landed on the spot where Yamaguchi had been sitting a moment before.

Tsukki made an irritated noise at the back of his throat, ‘’he just sat down. He can’t move for the rest of the game.’’

Yamaguchi was surprised at how possessive Tsukki sounded. He fought off the _nth_ blush of the evening and crawled off Tsukki’s lap, into Kageyama’s arms which he had opened for the beta in defiance, ‘’we can break that if we’re doing dares,’’ Yamaguchi promised, and settled against Kageyama. Hinata started the timer. Within twenty seconds he had dragged Tsukki into a conversation and their attention shifted from the two hugging. Yamaguchi relaxed against Kageyama, melted into him. Kageyama shifted. He had been hugging Yamaguchi a little awkwardly, like someone forced to do it. Now he moved so that he could pull his arms around his waist properly and rested his cheek against the top of his head. Yamaguchi found one of his arms making its way around Kageyama’s waist, his free hand stroking up and down his chest. He couldn’t remember where he’d put his beer, couldn’t bring himself to care. Kageyama was warm and solid and shirtless and for the first time in a while, Yamaguchi felt excited.

He watched his hand travelling down Kageyama’s smooth chest, to his muscled stomach, his thumb circling the bellybutton, before he dragged his hand back up, using his nails. Kageyama growled, so quietly only Yamaguchi heard with the other two absorbed in bickering. Kageyama’s arms tightened on Yamaguchi’s waist – again in that possessive manner. He tilted his head, brushed his nose against Yamaguchi’s hair and inhaled his scent. Yamaguchi dragged his hand back down Kageyama’s chest, watching his blue eyes flutter shut. He went lower, back to his stomach, feeling the rock hard muscles there, and then his hand went even lower, a finger catching on the waistband of Kageyama’s jeans. In a drunken stupor, Kageyama gave that quiet growl again and moved his head. He pressed his nose to Yamaguchi’s scent gland and then nipped at his ear with his lips.

‘’Times up!’’ Hinata declared, cheerfully enough that Yamaguchi realised he hadn’t noticed. He felt ashamed. Kageyama was drunk and he’d let himself get carried away. He sprung away from his mate as if he was on fire and returned to Tsukki’s lap, which wasn’t much better, since his hand immediately returned under his jumper. Yamaguchi flushed. He’d been starved for touch a few times, and now suddenly he got it – too fast, too intense, and in front of everyone which made him feel like a freak for feeling...

He didn’t feel like playing anymore, but Hinata excitedly asked what his truth was. Yamaguchi really felt like he should have drunk more, ‘’ _who do you think is the cutest person in the room?_ ’’

‘’You, of course,’’ Hinata beamed at Yamaguchi, who smiled weakly back.

He didn’t expect Hinata to pick up on his shift in mood. But he did; instantly. Hinata’s face fell and he crawled over, pressing up against Yamaguchi and cupping his face. He pressed a light kiss to his lips, ignoring Tsukki who was frowning down at him, ‘’you ok?’’ Hinata murmured against Yamaguchi’s lips.

‘’Yeah...’’ Yamaguchi breathed. Instantly, he felt better, ‘’I just...I think I need to drink more.’’

Hinata obediently went to fetch his glass and the bottle of vodka. Tsukki’s hand slipped out from under Yamaguchi’s jumper, as if he sensed he’d done something wrong. Yamaguchi felt guilty for ruining the fun, till Tsukki wrapped an arm around his waist. Nothing sexual in that – just comfort, and Yamaguchi welcomed it. He didn’t know why he was being such a downer, but as Hinata brought over his glass, filled generously with vodka, he didn’t care anymore. The drink burned away his bad mood, ‘’my turn, my tur-‘’ he clicked the button, ‘’oh, why do I always get the worst ones? _Do a strip tease.’’_

Kageyama cracked up, ‘’want another drink instead?’’

‘’I wanna see!’’ Hinata whined.

Yamaguchi ran his tongue against the roof of his mouth. The taste of the vodka was still foul in his mouth and he didn’t really feel like repeating the shot anytime soon, ‘’Hinata, hit the music.’’

‘’Yes!’’ Hinata threw a fist in the air and tapped something into his phone.

‘’Hold up,’’ Kageyama suddenly realised something, ‘’isn’t Yamaguchi not allowed to get off Tsukki’s lap?’’ he was ignoring the fact that Yamaguchi had done just that to go hug him for two minutes.

‘’Well,’’ Yamaguchi smirked at Tsukki, feeling the alcohol take effect, as he swung his leg over Tsukki’s hip, straddling him, ‘’you’re up for a lap dance.’’

Tsukki looked a little awe struck as Yamaguchi gracefully took off his glasses. Becky G – Sola blasted from his phone, because it was Spanish and to Hinata anything that sounded vaguely Spanish was sexy. Yamaguchi blamed the alcohol for what happened next.

He lifted his hips in time to the music and brought the down very deliberately on Tsukki’s front. Both Hinata and Kageyama shuffled closer to get a better look as Yamaguchi lifted the hem of his jumper teasingly, revealing his stomach. He slid his hands up his stomach, taking the jumper with him, revealing more and more skin before letting it drop back down. Tsukki gave a sharp growl, his eyes flashing gold for a split second – it surprised Yamaguchi, but didn’t throw him off track. He lifted his jumper again and Tsukki looked placated, his eyes half-closed as he watched Yamaguchi with unhidden, alcohol fuelled pleasure.

Finally Yamaguchi pulled his jumper over his head, exposing his flat stomach with just the faintest outline of muscle and freckled shoulders. He wasn’t sure why he decided to grind against Tsukki, but it just felt like a good idea at the time. And it felt good, too. Yamaguchi ground into Tsukki, rolling his ass against his front and – oh gods – he felt Tsukki get hard under him. That only fuelled his confidence and he grinned, hooking his thumbs into his sweatpants and rolling them down just enough to expose his v-line. Tsukki sucked in a barely audible breath and closed his eyes briefly with a particularly insistent thrust on Yamaguchi’s part.

And then he stopped, and dissolved into giggles, ‘’no, I can’t. I can’t even take these off.’’ He glanced around at his other mates. He expected them to be laughing at the show. Instead Hinata looked three seconds away from starting to drool at the sight of him and Kageyama stared at Yamaguchi with intense eyes, biting his lip. Hinata snapped out of it first, killing the music.

‘’You need to finish your dare,’’ Tsukki said suddenly and Yamaguchi yelped as he was yanked forward, his legs in the air as Tsukki quickly and efficiently pulled his sweats off. Yamaguchi started giggling, trying to hide the embarrassment as heat spread through him, when Tsukki drew his hands up Yamaguchi’s legs as he pulled the trousers off. Then he grabbed Yamaguchi’s wrists and yanked him upright, till they were face-to-face. Yamaguchi gave another little giggle and Tsukki gazed at him with something strange dancing in his eyes, ‘’you’re a little vixen, you know that?’’

‘’Well, this vixen is cold,’’ Yamaguchi grinned. He didn’t know how Kageyama could sit without his shirt and not be cold.

Tsukki grabbed one of the blankets at the edge of the couch, that was always being left there by one of them after they watch a movie, and threw them around Yamaguchi’s shoulders like a cape, ‘’let’s get on with the game,’’ he said, bundling Yamaguchi up.

‘’Okay,’’ Yamaguchi turned to his phone, ‘’Tsukki, truth or dare?’’

‘’Dare.’’

Now Yamaguchi wasn’t so sure if Tsukki remember, what with his alcohol-infused brain and all. But he went with it, clicking the button, ‘’ _say a very hot happy birthday to someone._ ’’

‘’Oh, that’s got to be Kageyama,’’ Hinata said, ‘’you can’t say no to the birthday boy!’’ If he was sober, Kageyama would have protested. Now, drunk, he looked around in confusion. Hinata smirked, ‘’make it _very hot_.’’

‘’Fine,’’ Tsukki stared the omega down with a smirk of his own, ‘’but if it’s hot enough, you’re going to take a double shot.’’

‘’Fine,’’ Hinata fired back, crossing his arms over his chest, which was adorable, taking in his height and the fact that he had Kageyama’s oversized sweater on. Tsukki gently transferred Yamaguchi off his lap and onto the couch.  

‘’Hold up-‘’ Kageyama’s vodka lugged brain finally caught on, but it was too late.

Tsukki shoved him down onto the couch, pushed his legs apart and crawled in between. He grabbed Kageyama’s wrists and pinned the down to the couch. Kageyama’s breath was erratic, from nerves...and something else. Tsukki lowered his head, till his lips were directly against Kageyama’s ear, ‘’happy birthday,’’ he whispered in a husky voice, hovering above Kageyama. Then he tilted his head and pressed a slow, kiss just below Kageyama’s ear. He bit his lope for good measure and Kageyama shivered under him, exhaling shakily.

Tsukki pulled away, ‘’oh my god, he _actually_ shivered!’’ he chuckled as Kageyama sat up. He looked grumpy and he rubbed the place where Tsukki had kissed, glaring.

‘’Did not.’’

Tsukki looked at Hinata expectantly. The ginger didn’t say anything. He grabbed the vodka bottle, poured himself a double shot and downed it. Tsukki watched him do it with satisfaction and then he returned to his corner of the couch, patting his lap for Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi crawled onto his best friend’s lap, and Tsukki draped his arm around his waist. Kageyama still looked grumpy as Yamaguchi turned to him, ‘’ready for your dare?’’

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’ _Hold hands with someone for the rest of the game._ ’’

‘’I want to drink,’’ Kageyama said immediately.

Hinata raised the vodka bottle and showed him what remained of the alcohol – less than half a bottle, ‘’I dunno, Kageyama. I doubt we’re going to open that third one, since it’s kind of important,’’ Kageyama was too drunk to realise they could use one of the empty ones, ‘’you should probably save this for something you _really_ don’t want to do.’’ Hinata said with a mock-serious voice. In reality, he just thought it’d be really hilarious to see Kageyama try and hold hands with Tsukki for the rest of the game.

Kageyama contemplated his best friend’s words, ‘’fine,’’ he said finally.

‘’Spin the bottle, Tsukki,’’ Hinata said innocently. Every time Tsukki spun, the bottle landed on him.

But Yamaguchi sitting in his lap must have messed everything up, because the bottle spun and landed on Hinata.

Kageyama groaned and extended his hand, ‘’come here, dumbass.’’

Hinata didn’t budge, ‘’no, you come here, dumbass!’’ Kageyama growled, reached over, grabbed Hinata’s wrist and yanked him towards him, ‘’ouch, ouch, okay!’’ Hinata crawled the rest of the way to Kageyama, miserable that his plan backfired. Once he got to Kageyama the setter sighed dramatically and put his hand on his knee, palm up. Hinata obediently put his on top and Kageyama laced their fingers together. Tsukki and Yamaguchi chuckled at the sight. Kageyama scowled at Hinata. Hinata pretended not to notice.

And then Kageyama ran his thumb against Hinata’s. And again. A caress. Hinata held his breath, but Kageyama kept going. He exhaled slowly, and didn’t react, as Yamaguchi generated a dare for him, ‘’here we go, Hinata!...oh. Um...’’ he read the dare again, ‘’ _make out with someone for three minutes._ ’’

Hinata wondered if he should turn the dare down. But then he glanced at Yamaguchi, who was sitting on Tsukki’s lap wrapped in his blanket, his lips slightly parted, waiting for his answer, ‘’can I pick with who?’’ Hinata’s voice came out smaller than he’d expected and everyone shifted, as if they’d expected him to just drink the vodka.

‘’Yeah, go on then,’’ Tsukki said. Next to Hinata, Kageyama nodded.

‘’I’ll do it with Yamaguchi,’’ Hinata looked at the beta shyly, letting go of Kageyama’s hand, ‘’if you don’t mind.’’

Yamaguchi smiled softly and slipped off Tsukki’s lap, opening up the blanket, ‘’set the timer.’’

Someone must have. Probably Tsukki. Hinata crawled over, settled himself between Yamaguchi’s legs and threw his over the beta’s thighs. Warmth closed around him – Yamaguchi’s arms, bringing the blanket with him, cocooning them together. Yamaguchi brushed his nose against Hinata’s, smiled.

‘’Go,’’ Tsukki said, pressing the timer.

Yamaguchi neatly slid his lips against Hinata’s. It didn’t start as a make out, not straight away. They had three minutes, after all – an eternity. Yamaguchi started slow, brushing his lips against Hinata’s gently, over and over. He cupped his face with one hand; put the other on his hip. Hinata rested his hands on Yamaguchi’s bare chest, warm from the blanket. When the first brush of tongue came, Yamaguchi put his other hand on Hinata’s other hip and pulled him even closer. Hinata put one hand on Yamaguchi’s face, his thumb peeking out shyly from the folds of Kageyama’s sweater sleeves. He put the other hand on Yamaguchi’s shoulder for purchase. He was aware the others were watching. He didn’t care.

Shyly, Hinata parted his lips and Yamaguchi slipped his tongue inside, deepening the kiss, and Hinata melted into hi like a sigh escaping someone’s lips before their bodies deflated. Yamaguchi seemed to close around him, hold him tighter and Hinata was hit with the knowledge that if Yamaguchi was his alpha, and he was in heat, he’d let him do whatever he wanted – gladly. And even now, when he wasn’t in heat and Yamaguchi was only a beta...whatever Yamaguchi asked, Hinata would do it. A tiny cross between a moan and a whimper escaped Hinata’s lips as Yamaguchi deepened the kiss even more, tasting him. They both tasted like alcohol. Yamaguchi had a pleasant citrusy taste to him left over from the lemon and a soothing sweetness from the whipped cream. Hinata smiled into the kisses and they parted for breath, exchanging a few brief, chaste kisses before Yamaguchi went in again.

He brushed his lips against Hinata’s softly again, lazily, stroking his hands up and down Hinata’s sides under the blankets. Hinata stroked his face in return. They fell into each other as easily as puzzle pieces and Hinata wondered how they could have – why they had even – put this away for so long. They alternated between quick pecks, long, loving kisses and shallower, lazier ones, just enjoying the taste and feel of each other.

Kageyama watched the two kissing as easily as if they had been doing it their whole lives and something clenched in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t know what the feeling was, like he was being torn apart watching the two of them. Tsukki sat there, trying to push away the desires that squeezed themselves into his alcohol clogged brain. He wanted to kiss Hinata, the way Yamaguchi was kissing him. He wanted to kiss him all over. And he wanted to kiss Yamaguchi – he’d wanted to kiss Yamaguchi forever and he felt jealous, now, that Hinata had gotten to do it first. And, maybe, he wanted to kiss Kageyama too, just a little.

The timer sounded off but it took Yamaguchi and Hinata a few more seconds to stop kissing. They broke apart and Hinata giggled in the most adorable way while Yamaguchi smoothed back his hair and smiled at him fondly, ‘’it’s time to return to our dares.’’

‘’Mmmmh,’’ Hinata kissed the top of his nose and unwound himself from the blanket, crawling back over to Kageyama. The raven felt awkward, like he had intruded on something, but Hinata just took his hand and laced their fingers together as if it was the most natural thing in the world, resting their hands on Kageyama’s thigh. Yamaguchi crawled back into Tsukki’s lap and everything seemed to return to normal as he generated his own question, ‘’ _what kind of porn category do you watch?_ ’’

‘’Oh, I want to know this,’’ Tsukki shifted underneath Yamaguchi, his erection gone. He wrapped his arms around Yamaguchi’s waist and the beta warmed all over.

‘’Gay. When I do watch.’’

‘’Boring!’’ Kageyama called, getting over his embarrassment.

Yamaguchi laughed, ‘’and amateur, I guess. I don’t know. What do you want me to say?’’

‘’Why amateur?’’ Hinata asked. He’d gotten his hands on the can of whipped cream and he sprayed some onto his tongue.

‘’Um, the professional ones have really fake moans – Hinata, don’t eat the cream, you’ll get sick.’’

‘’Sorry, mom,’’ Hinata flashed him a grin.

‘’Fine,’’ Tsukki said, ‘’Yamaguchi is a boring prick who watches gay amateurs get it on with each other. We accept you with all your flaws.’’

‘’And I accept you, with your big mouth when you drink,’’ Yamaguchi retorted with a smile, ‘’Tsukki, truth or dare?’’

‘’Dare.’’

Yamaguchi shrugged, and clicked the button, ‘’oh, another frisky one! _Give someone a hickey on the neck._ ’’

‘’Want me to spin?’’ Hinata offered.

‘’Nah, don’t worry about it,’’ Tsukki replied, ‘’Yamaguchi is right here.’’

‘’Huh, wha-‘’ Yamaguchi didn’t get to finish because Tsukki dived and slid his mouth against Yamaguchi’s exposed neck. Yamaguchi inhaled sharply when Tsukki began sucking and licking. The moan that slipped out of his mouth only made Tsukki attack his neck harder, ‘’ah, no- Tsukki, wai- ah, don’t use your teeth!’’

Hinata and Kageyama shifted, hiding their not so subtle reactions. The tips of Kageyama’s ears burned. He shifted his hand, letting go of Hinata’s. Hinata slipped his hand down his palm, resting the tips of his fingers against his life line. He ran his thumb over the base of his palm. Kageyama moved his hand again, throwing Hinata’s off gently so it rested against his thigh and covering it with his. He began to trace patterns into the back of Hinata’s hand. All through this they didn’t look away from Tsukki attacking Yamaguchi’s neck.

Tsukki finally pulled away and grinned at the dark mark he had left. Yamaguchi huffed and covered it with his hand, ‘’vampire,’’ he grumbled. Tsukki just pulled his hand away and brushed his thumb over the mark.

The game went on. Kageyama had to have a staring contest with Hinata – thanks to the alcohol it didn’t last long, with Hinata dissolving into giggles after a couple seconds and breaking eye contact. An alcohol-induced Hinata told them of his secret sexual fantasy of being arrested by a cop and doing it in a cell – something he’d seen in a porn movie and undoubtedly would have not told his mates if he wasn’t drunk. Yamaguchi refused a dare for the first time – he was just not going to suck someone’s toe seductively, especially since none of them had showered yet. Tsukki adamantly stuck to his decision of not pissing out of the window, and took a shot instead. Following suit, Kageyama refused to tell them if he was in love and drank a shot after Tsukki – from the same glass, nonetheless. Hinata ate a spoonful of ketchup and Yamaguchi thanked god that they had already made out. Then, Tsukki grudgingly admitted that out of the three of them, he found Kageyama to be the hottest – Yamaguchi and Hinata solemnly agreed.

‘’Dare,’’ Yamaguchi read out his own, ‘’ _give someone a hickey._ ’’ They had abandoned the bottle-spinning system and Yamaguchi searched for his victim, ‘’Kageyama, I don’t think you’ve suffered enough on your birth day.’’ Kageyama’s groan turned into a giggle as he crawled over, ‘’don’t worry, it wasn’t specified where I should give you the hickey,’’ Yamaguchi said brightly, and grabbed Kageyama’s bare arm, pressing a hickey into Kageyama’s forearm till the raven started giggling in such a cute fashion he caused Hinata and Tsukki to blush.

Kageyama barely managed to return to his place next to Hinata and take his hand when his dare was generated, ‘’ _lick mustard off someone’s stomach._ ’’

‘’Thank god I love mustard,’’ Kageyama said and Hinata lost it, ‘’oh, you think it’s funny,’’ Kageyama said, barely keeping the grin off his face as he pushed Hinata down and rolled his jumper up. Hinata was still giggling as Kageyama tipped some mustard from the plastic bag onto his stomach, ‘’quit giggling, it’s going to get everywhere.’’

‘’Sorry,’’ Hinata stifled his laughter – just barely. Kageyama neatly licked a part of the mustard off, and Hinata’s laughter died down completely, ‘’oh, that...that actually doesn’t feel half bad...’’ he watched, eyes half-lidded, as Kageyama’s tongue flicked out again to clear the mustard off his stomach. Subconsciously Hinata reached out and tangled his hand in Kageyama’s dark hair. Too soon, all the mustard was gone. But Yamaguchi had already generated a dare for Tsukishima, ‘’ _lick whipped cream off someone’s chest._ Oh, well, Hinata is already down, so you might as well...’’

Hinata shrieked and laughed as he tried to sit up and was wrestled back down. Soon enough Yamaguchi was crouching above him, pinning his wrists above his head and Kageyama had rolled up his jumper while Tsukki sprayed whipped cream in neat mounds onto each of Hinata’s nipples, down the centre of his chest and into his bellybutton, ‘’thanks for the food.’’

Hinata laughed hysterically but his laugh turned into a breathy moan as Tsukki’s mouth closed around a nipple. He swiped the cream off with his tongue. Hinata jerked when suddenly Kageyama leaned down and took his other nipple into his mouth. Another moan escaped his mouth. Tsukki growled, ‘’it’s my dare.’’

‘’Share,’’ Kageyama shot back. Even though the cream was gone, he flicked his tongue lazily against Hinata’s nipple and moved down.

Tsukki relented, starting from the bottom, his tongue swirling in Hinata’s bellybutton. Kageyama kissed down his chest, taking the whipped cream off. Once Tsukki was on the last mound of cream, he mumbled against Hinata’s skin, ‘’Yamaguchi, truth or dare?’’

‘’Dare,’’ Yamaguchi had been so caught up with watching the two work on the cream on Hinata’s body that he forgot the game. He clicked the button on his phone. Hinata was breathing hard, eyes glazed over. Kageyama pulled down his jumper gently and Tsukki helped him sit up.

‘’Sorry, was that a little intense?’’ Tsukki’s speech was slurred.

‘’No, it was fine,’’ Hinata assured, leaning against him.

‘’Yamaguchi, what’s your dare?’’ Kageyama asked.

‘’ _Suck someone’s finger seductively._ ’’

Hinata immediately broke off into a counting-out rhyme and his finger stopped at Tsukki. Tsukishima grinned, ‘’I’m a lucky guy today,’’ he cupped Yamaguchi’s cheek. The alcohol was really beginning to get a grip on him as he didn’t even blush when Tsukki brushed his thumb over his bottom lip. Yamaguchi parted his lips and took his thumb in his mouth, not breaking eye contact as he started sucking and licking the finger. He even bobbed his head a little, like someone would when giving a...

Yamaguchi snapped out of it, flushing, and pulled back, ‘’I think we should end the game here.’’

The other three whined, ‘’why?’’

‘’Because you’re all drunk, I don’t want to open the third vodka in case someone gets sick and I’m tired,’’ Yamaguchi said. He realised that out of the four of them he’d been the most lewd tonight and he felt embarrassed. But not really in a bad way. The other three seemed to have enjoyed it. He began to gather up the rubbish, ‘’Hinata, hop in the shower, you’re all sticky. Birthday boy, get in some PJs before you catch a cold. Tsukki, help me clean up.’’

*~*~*

Half an hour later they all met in the bedroom. Hinata was fresh out of the shower, hair slightly damp and curling, looking sleepy and drunk and soft and huggable, just in his boxers and Kageyama’s jumper. He rubbed his eye sleepily and Yamaguchi couldn’t help opening his arms for the boy. Tsukki was getting ready for bed, stumbling around woozily and fighting his clothes as he tried to put them on. Yamaguchi would have helped, except it was hilarious to watch – and it was his fault for getting shit faced. Kageyama came upstairs, too. He’d sobered up a little in the shower, ‘’I’m ready to crash,’’ he announced, making for his armchair.

‘’Kageyama,’’ Hinata suddenly broke away from Yamaguchi and stepped forward, ‘’last round. Truth or dare?’’

‘’Huh?’’

‘’Truth or dare?’’

Kageyama studied Hinata for a moment, ‘’dare,’’ he said finally.

Hinata extended his hand, partially hidden in the folds of the jumper’s sleeve, towards the raven, ‘’sleep with us tonight. Sleep with us from now on.’’

Kageyama stared at his hand and, gods, how could he say no to that face? He took Hinata’s hand and let him pull him towards the bed, much to the shock of the other two. The light was turned off. Tsukki lay down on the end of the bed and as soon as Yamaguchi lay down, he pulled him against his chest, wrapping an arm around him. Yamaguchi rubbed his hand up and down his forearm soothingly. Hinata lay down next, leaving a space for Kageyama next to the wall. He scooted close to Yamaguchi and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his lips, ‘’goodnight.’’

‘’Night,’’ Yamaguchi smiled at him in the darkness.

Hinata hesitated before arching his neck and kissing Tsukishima’s forehead, ‘’night, Tsukki.’’ He whispered.

‘’Night.’’ Tsukki was already half asleep.

When Hinata lay back down, Kageyama was already there, shuffling around, a little lost. Hinata turned around and put a hand on his arm, making him settle down, ‘’do we...um...’’ Kageyama didn’t know how to sleep with other people in the bed. It was adorable.

‘’Here, just...you can hug me, okay?’’ Hinata said tentatively, taking Kageyama’s arm and pulling it around his own waist. He tucked an arm under his head and the other around Kageyama’s in response, ‘’like this. Is it okay?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Kageyama murmured, pulling Hinata closer and burying his face in his hair. He was still drunk, and sleepy, so Hinata tried to take it in while it lasted.

Tomorrow he might not be so lucky.


	16. I'd Love to Take a Pin to a Heart Shaped Balloon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THANK Y'ALL FOR BLOWING UP MY COMMENTS   
> HERE'S A REWARD - A QUICK UPDATE!

The next morning, Hinata woke up still in the safe circle of Kageyama’s arms. Yamaguchi was awake behind him, holding up his phone and scrolling through instagram with one hand, the other stroking Hinata’s back gently as he slowly woke up. Tsukki was still tucked behind Yamaguchi and he was frowning in his sleep. It was early. The cold wintry light fell in through the window and Hinata realised it was snowing – really, truly, properly. He smiled, looking through the window above Kageyama’s shoulder before turning his eyes to the sleeping raven. He reached out and with a single finger traced his cheek, still warm from sleep. He’d wake up soon, anyway – alcohol always woke you up early. Hinata himself felt slightly weakened from dehydration that came after a night of drinking, but he’d not drunk nearly enough to be in a state. Hinata didn’t realise Kageyama had woken up till he mumbled sleepily, ‘’I’m going to break your finger.’’

Hinata giggled and dropped his hand, ‘’good morning.’’

‘’Not so good,’’ Kageyama grumbled, slowly untangling himself from Hinata.

‘’Want water.’’

Kageyama nodded, rubbing his face with his hands, ‘’and an aspirin. Or two.’’

‘’That’s what you get for not doing your dares,’’ Hinata teased, getting up.

Tsukki groaned from behind Yamaguchi, ‘’can we not talk about yesterday? _Please_. Hinata, make that two waters.’’

‘’I’ll just bring a whole bottle,’’ Hinata sighed and padded out of the bedroom.

Tsukki pressed his forehead to the nape of Yamaguchi’s neck, ‘’I’m in pain,’’ he complained quietly. Yamaguchi was the only one who he ever complained to.

‘’It’s not my fault you have a hangover,’’ Yamaguchi turned off his phone and tossed it onto the nightstand, turning to a bleary-eyed Tsukki.

‘’You suggested the game.’’

Yamaguchi sighed fondly, ‘’don’t worry. I’ll take care of you today, so take it easy.’’

‘’What about me?’’ came Kageyama’s tired voice.

Yamaguchi laughed and sat up, leaning over to run a hand through Kageyama’s mussed up black hair, ‘’you, too, Kageyama.’’

Hinata came back with a massive bottle of water and a whole packet of aspirin. The two alphas sat up and took the medication gratefully, without the energy to argue about not drinking from the same bottle. Hinata snuggled up to Yamaguchi, who put an arm around his shoulders and dropped a kiss on top of his head, ‘’so,’’ Yamaguchi said, ‘’is anyone going home for Christmas? Christmas eve is tomorrow.’’

The four exchanged looks, ‘’I haven’t really considered that,’’ Hinata said, surprised at himself.

‘’Yeah, I was just...’’ Kageyama gestured awkwardly, ‘’gonna stay here.’’

‘’Me, too,’’ Tsukki said.

‘’Okay, good,’’ Yamaguchi perked up, ‘’so we’re spending Christmas together?’’ he confirmed.

‘’Guess so,’’ Tsukki took a gulp of water and passed it to Kageyama.

‘’Are we doing presents?’’ Hinata asked, suddenly excited.

Yamaguchi shrugged, ‘’yeah, sure.’’

‘’I already got you guys some,’’ Kageyama said. All eyes turned to him and he paused with the water bottle half way to his lips, ‘’...what? I’m not heartless,’’ he glanced away, ‘’and I really like Christmas.’’

*~*~*

Despite having two hungover alphas in the house, by midday Yamaguchi had everyone mobilised, with the help of some chicken soup and more aspirin. Yamaguchi and Tsukki were in the kitchen, having driven out to the shop. Yamaguchi was doing the cooking, preparing everything that could be prepared the night before – he marinated a whole chicken with spices, made the base for the soup from scratch, rolled up pigs in blankets ready to be fried and peeled all the potatoes. Tsukishima, on the other hand, had taken on baking – it really wasn’t a surprise that the alpha could bake, considering how much he like cake. He was doing said cake – and cookies. He even got apple pies going. The two of them worked well, weaving around each other as easily as if they were two rivers flowing alongside each other, ‘’all done,’’ Yamaguchi said, having piled everything he had to into the pot of soup. He set it on the farthest burner and turned on the gas with the other hand.

Flames jumped up – but not on the farthest burner. Yamaguchi yelped as his hand was yelped by the burner to the left of it. Swinging his hand through the air to keep the cold air on it, Yamaguchi turned on the correct burner, ‘’idiot, put it under water!’’ Tsukki put down his icing and rushed over to his mate, cradling his hand in both of his as he inspected the injury.

‘’It’s nothing,’’ Yamaguchi assured.

‘’C’mere,’’ Tsukki pulled him towards the tap, irritated, and turned on the cold water. Yamaguchi just smiled at his irritation.

In the living room, the other two were going wild – or Hinata was, while Kageyama tried to helplessly keep up, while complaining about his headache. Tsukki and Yamaguchi had hauled a small Christmas tree from the grocery store that the other two set in the corner of the room and decorated haphazardly with the Christmas decorations Yamaguchi had brought, along with the heater they’d used when the heating got turned off and a whole load of other shit that would eventually be used, ‘’Kageyama, I can’t reach!’’ Hinata was currently trying to pin one of the many sets of fairy lights along the walls, but he couldn’t reach far enough.

‘’Why do you make me do this with a hangover?’’ Kageyama grumbled. Hinata yelped when Kageyama locked his arms around his waist and lifted him up, so he could tape the fairy lights into place. As Hinata did so, Kageyama leaned his forehead against the small of his back, exhausted, ‘’I’m never drinking again,’’ he swore.

*~*~*

That evening, around five, the four of them sat on their couch, having cleaned it up previously from the night before. There were fairy lights glimmering on the walls as the main lights were turned off and, each with their own blankets, the boys were cosy on the couch – and about to rip each other’s throats out.

‘’I’m not having Indian,’’ Yamaguchi said, even though he was the one who forced everyone to get take out, since he refused to cook for today, and tomorrow’s food was off limits, ‘’I’m sorry, I’m just not. You won’t budge me. I can’t handle the spice.’’

‘’You’re the very definition of a white girl,’’ Tsukki said, irritated again, ‘’if you don’t want spices, there’s bread in the cupboard.’’

‘’Tsukishima, stop being an asshole,’’ Hinata groaned, ‘’let’s get Chinese. You can get spicy and non spicy.’’

‘’I don’t want noodles,’’ Tsukki shook his head, ‘’not today. Not with this hangover.’’

‘’American,’’ Kageyama declared, ‘’you can’t go wrong with a burger and chips.’’

‘’Uh, _yeah you can_ ,’’ Tsukki and Yamaguchi chorused.

‘’Can we not argue?’’ Hinata requested.

‘’We’re not arguing,’’ Yamaguchi assured, ‘’we’re having a civil debate.’’

‘’This shouldn’t even be a debate,’’ Tsukki said, ‘’we’re getting Indian!’’

‘’ _Please_ not Indian.’’ Yamaguchi whined, ‘’I need to go to work in an hour. Let me eat something that will get me through the night.’’

Tsukki finally relented at that, ‘’last shift of the year?’’

‘’Yep. So, please...let’s just get burgers, like Kageyama said.’’

‘’Fine,’’ Tsukki thought that if this was how it was going to go down every time they tried to get take out, he’d rather starve.

*~*~*

As they waited for the burgers, Yamaguchi and Tsukki watched the TV. Before, Yamaguchi had forbidden anyone to eat the cookies – he said he had them counted. But Hinata wanted them. And so did Kageyama. The raven’s phone lit up with a message notification.

_From: Dumbass 17:13_

_Get up casually and go to the kitchen. Get two cookies and go upstairs. I’ll wait for you._

Kageyama glared at the screen of his phone, rather than at Hinata on the opposite end of the couch.

_From: King Kageyama 17:13_

_Why do I have to get it? I don’t want to get caught!_

Hinata rolled his eyes and typed back.

_From: Dumbass 17:14_

_Then don’t get caught. You can always blame it on your hangover._

Then he hoped off the couch, mumbled something about studying and went upstairs, so Kageyama couldn’t protest. He settled down on the bed and waited. As he expected, the setter stood up to the challenge and a minute later he appeared, hiding two of the still-warm cookies in his pocket. He tossed one to Hinata, ‘’yay, spoils of war!’’ Hinata said.

‘’That _I_ fought.’’ Kageyama grumbled, dumping himself next to Hinata. They tapped cookies, like a toast, and bit in. The secret mission had been worth it – Hinata moaned, mouth full.

‘’I’m willing to sacrifice a team mate for these,’’ he said.

Kageyama looked offended, ‘’thanks.’’

Hinata chuckled. For a while they chewed their cookies in a content silence. Hinata licked crumbs off his fingers, ‘’hey, Kageyama...’’ he finally gathered the courage to ask, ‘’are you going to sleep with us tonight?’’

Kageyama stared at his cookie intensely, ‘’I don’t have to.’’

‘’Oh, no, I want you to,’’ Hinata said quickly and flushed when Kageyama gave him a sharp look, ‘’I-I mean...I just feel bad with you sleeping on the armchair...’’ he tapped his pointing fingers together, ‘’...and stuff.’’

‘’I’ll see,’’ Kageyama said, finishing his cookie, and sighed, ‘’you’ve got crumbs,’’ he reached out and swiped his thumb gently against the corner of Hinata’s mouth.

‘’You know you’re, like, really important to me, right?’’ Hinata blurted.

‘’Yeah, obviously,’’ Kageyama didn’t miss a beat, but flushed slightly, ‘’you’re important to me, too.’’

‘’You’re the most important person in my life,’’ Hinata added, since he’d already dug himself a grave.

Kageyama stopped brushing the crumbs away, even though there were none left, ‘’...what about Yamaguchi?’’

‘’Yeah, him too, obviously!’’

Kageyama looked slightly irritated, ‘’you can’t have two people that are the most important to you.’’

‘’Good, cause I have three.’’

Kageyama dropped his hand, ‘’I can’t believe I rank the same as that four eyed bastard.’’

Hinata scrambled to amend himself, ‘’b-but in the best friend category you’re way up here,’’ he put his hand above his head, ‘’and you’re first. And by yourself. You’re my best friend in the whole world.’’

Kageyama studied him, ‘’so...what position am I sharing with Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, if it’s not friends?’’

Hinata flushed, ‘’um...’’

Kageyama’s eyes softened, ‘’it’s fine. You don’t need to answer that.’’ His hand returned, fingers running through flame coloured hair, thumb brushing against Hinata’s temple.

Hinata scooted closer, ‘’does your head still hurt?’’

‘’A little,’’ Kageyama admitted, sliding his fingers down Hinata’s face and down his neck, as if he was touching an interesting exhibit in the museum. Without really meaning to, Hinata put his cheek on Kageyama’s shoulder and wrapped his arms around Kageyama’s. A few weeks back, Kageyama had jerked away from Hinata when he’d done that during a jump scare in a horror movie. Now, he relaxed. Hinata slid his hand down, and drew his fingers butterfly-light against Kageyama’s palm. Kageyama caught his fingers and laced them through his, resting his cheek atop Hinata’s, ‘’you’re mine, too. By the way.’’

‘’Your what?’’ Hinata didn’t lift his head.

‘’Best friend. You’re my best friend in the whole world, too.’’

Hinata smiled at that. Even if they felt like so much more.


	17. And If You're in Love You Are the Lucky One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OMG OK SO the amazingly talented KikuInaba has drawn Yamaguchi working in a gay bar from this fanfic and it's absolutely amazing and it's below, pls check it out. She's working on some other pieces for this OT4 that I can't wait to see. Kiku - this is amazing, another massive thank you <3 
> 
> And a massive thank you to everyone who has commented, kudoed and bookmarked this fic. You guys are great. 
> 
> If y'all have any more fanart inspired by this fic, pls let me know, I'd love to see it! Send it to my email: annajdziki@gmail.com

 

 

[ ](https://dynastyshit.tumblr.com/image/168232412507)

Credits to KikuInaba ^

 

Despite everything, the four of them were splitting up for actual Christmas. Hinata got the call first and he promised Natsu over the phone that he’d be home on Christmas morning to help her unpack presents. Then Yamaguchi was coaxed by his parents to at least come for a few days. As soon as Kageyama and Tsukishima realised that it left the two of them home alone, they quickly arranged to come back home for a few days. That left them no choice but to simply celebrate Christmas Eve together. 

‘’What? You’re _still_ eating?’’ Tsukishima looked at Hinata, who stuffed his face, with faint disgust.

Hinata swallowed the too-big mouthful with some effort, ‘’I don’t want to waste the food!’’

‘’Don’t force yourself,’’ Yamaguchi laughed, a little shy from all the compliments his food had gotten.

‘’Trust me, I’m not,’’ Hinata said pointedly.

‘’There’s still desert,’’ Yamaguchi added with a laugh.

That finally made Hinata put down his fork. Tsukishima wrinkled his nose, ‘’you’re a pig.’’

‘’Don’t call him names,’’ Yamaguchi playfully swatted at Tsukki’s hand, then looked around and smiled. Fairy lights had found their way even into the kitchen, which was alight with little twinkles, and it smelled heavenly even though most of the food was gone. Outside, snow had made a little slope on the windowsill. Their joint instagram account was littered with half a dozen Christmas pictures already. Yamaguchi sighed, content.

Hinata bounced on his chair, ‘’can we open presents now?’’

Kageyama, who had been quiet, gave him a pained look, ‘’hold on a minute. I ate too much.’’

‘’I _told_ you to stop eating,’’ Tsukki shook his head.

‘’Come on,’’ Hinata kept bouncing, ‘’I wanna see what you uncreative dickhead got me,’’ he paused, and reached across the table for Yamaguchi’s hand, ‘’you’re not a dickhead, of course. Or uncreative.’’

‘’Hey, I knit,’’ Kageyama said, offended, as Yamaguchi smiled at Hinata and didn’t rise to the raven’s defence, ‘’you can’t get more creative than that.’’

All eyes turned to Tsukki, who put his hand up in mock-surrender, ‘’alright, I admit I’m an uncreative dickhead.’’

Yamaguchi chuckled, ‘’alright, Hinata. Help me clean up and then we can open presents.’’

None of them had ever seen Hinata more enthusiastic to clean. His excitement was adorable, and contagious, and soon enough the four of them were sitting under the tiny Christmas tree, drowning under a multitude of presents packed with various degrees of success, ‘’I’ll go first!’’ Hinata announced and dug around, pulling out three tiny packages of the same size from around the bigger ones. He tossed one to each of his mates, ‘’I admit I’m an uncreative dickhead, too, so I went for the easy option. But I hope you guys like it.’’

Kageyama began to undo the wrapping paper messily taped around the objects uncertainly and the others followed suit. Yamaguchi managed to pull his free first and he gasped with delight as a square, plastic key ring fell into his hand, their four faces grinning at him from the photo within, ‘’oh my gosh, Hina, that’s so cute.’’

Tsukki smirked, dangling his in front of his face, ‘’didn’t know you were the sentimental type.’’

Hinata flushed, sitting on the balls of his feet, ‘’shut up,’’ he grumbled.

‘’I am not putting this anywhere where people can see,’’ Kageyama declared.

Tsukki and Yamaguchi exchanged mischievous glances and the latter got up, ‘’I’m going to get your keys.’’

‘’Do not get my keys.’’

‘’I’m getting your keys,’’ he padded into the kitchen, where Kageyama’s house keys sat on the windowsill next to the car keys, and brought them back, tossing them into his lap, ‘’put the key-ring on.’’

‘’No way,’’ Kageyama flushed, peering at the photo.

‘’Do it,’’ Tsukki said, ‘’or I’ll tag it to your school bag.’’

Kageyama grumbled something and put the key-ring on. Hinata was giggling, and as his eyes slid to Tsukki he didn’t miss the way the blond put the key-ring into his back pocket carefully.

‘’Right, whose next?’’ Hinata clapped his hands excitedly.

‘’I’ll go,’’ Yamaguchi offered, pulling out two soft-looking packages of different sizes, and another one which he handled carefully – all three were packed immaculately, as expected. Yamaguchi passed the fragile one to Tsukki, ‘’merry Christmas.’’

‘’I feel like it’s something weird,’’ Tsukki murmured, carefully undoing the wrapping paper. It fell, revealing a plant pot with a little cacti sticking from it. It was a strange one, more brown than green, with baby-cacti growths spurting all over it.

Yamaguchi was barely containing laughter, ‘’I saw it, and I thought of you.’’

Hinata grinned, ‘’you see something like that and think of Tsukki?’’

Kageyama bit his lip to stop smiling, ‘’it makes me question how much of Tsukishima you’ve actually seen.’’

Tsukishima smiled, deadly, ‘’one more dick joke and I’ll shove this up your ass, king.’’

‘’Don’t be vulgar!’’ Yamaguchi said automatically.

Tsukki turned to him and his smile softened, ‘’thanks. I’ll put it next to your flowers,’’ then, to everyone’s surprise, Tsukki dipped his head and kissed the top of Yamaguchi’s head.

Yamaguchi flushed, pleased. He tossed the big package to Kageyama and the smaller one to Hinata. Hinata opened his first, ‘’yes!’’ he whooped, pulling the grey beanie onto his head even though he was inside. He grinned at Yamaguchi who had of course remembered when Hinata had told him he needed a new beanie a few weeks back. Kageyama, on the other hand, looked aghast as he unfolded a particularly ugly Christmas jumper – it had a brightly coloured, large fair-light motif running along the black material and two squirrels playfully running along the cables; except the squirrels looked like they’ve been run over at least twice, ‘’the hell is that?’’

Hinata burst out laughing and the other two barely contained their giggles, ‘’you should put it on,’’ Tsukki said, fighting to keep a straight face.

‘’You can dress my corpse in it. At least I won’t see it,’’ Kageyama inspected the jumper.

‘’Come on, put it on,’’ Yamaguchi smiled as sweetly as he could while trying to keep the laughter at bay, ‘’pretty please?’’

They hadn’t exactly expected Kageyama to do it, but lately he seemed to give into Yamaguchi’s wishes. The three of them were howling with laughter on the floor by the time the jumper was securely around Kageyama, although no one missed the way it tightened over his muscles, pronouncing his body well. Once they had calmed down, Yamaguchi grinned at Tsukki, ‘’wanna go next?’’

‘’Sure, why not?’’ Tsukki, still chuckling, retrieved his packages which, strangely enough, were packaged clumsily, and distributed them around. His presents were surprisingly well picked out – a CD of one of Yamaguchi’s favourite heavy metal bands for his car, a scented air freshener dangly thing for Hinata’s van that seemed to smell like Salon Pas and a solid block of good drawing paper for Kageyama which he took with a surprised blush – Tsukki admitted Yamaguchi had prompted that particular present.

Then, finally, it was Kageyama’s turn and everyone waited with quiet anticipation what the most withdrawn member of their little family had thought up. Hinata tossed the round, packed present into the air a couple of times, ‘’gee, I wonder what this could be,’’ he mused, ‘’a new volleyball? Nah, no way...’’

Kageyama rolled his eyes, ‘’just open it.’’

Hinata did, ‘’oh, gosh, it _is_ a new volleyball! I never would have guessed,’’ he giggled when Kageyama rolled his eyes again, but held the volleyball in his lap protectively nonetheless. Their old one had gone missing a week ago when they’d spiked it into the neighbours’ garden – their neighbours were a myth. Hinata didn’t think he’d ever seen them since they moved in.  

‘’Oh, Kageyama!’’ Yamaguchi exclaimed as he pulled out a neat, shiny box of high-end pencils, ‘’that’s...jheez, that’s expensive...you shouldn’t have...’’ but even as he said it, he popped open the box and ran his fingers down the line of pencils in awe, ‘’this is, like...the most expensive drawing tool I owe!’’

‘’It...It wasn’t that expensive,’’ Kageyama protested feebly, flushing.

Yamaguchi perked up, ‘’can I come over and give you a kiss?’’

Kageyama fought the urge to ask where, and shrugged. Yamaguchi set the pens down carefully and crawled across the floor. When he reached Kageyama, he threw his arms around his neck and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek. Then he rested his forehead briefly against Kageyama’s temple, ‘’thanks. I love them,’’ he said earnestly, kissing Kageyama’s heated cheek again.

By the time he came back to his spot, Tsukki had unpacked a strange looking clump of navy material, ‘’um...I appreciate the sentiment,’’ he was barely keeping it together, again, ‘’but what the heck is this?’’

Kageyama looked a little embarrassed as he scooted closer, ‘’it’s a...um...’’ he took the material shyly out of Tsukki’s hands and pulled it down over his head in one sudden movement.

‘’Oh,’’ Tsukki said, touching the thick chimney-scarf around his neck. He glanced up at Kageyama, ‘’did you...make this?’’

‘’Uh...yeah...’’ Kageyama glanced away.

Suddenly, Tsukki grabbed Yamaguchi’s hand and pressed it to the scarf, ‘’check out how soft it is.’’

‘’Oh, gosh, it is!’’ Yamaguchi’s grinned, ‘’Kageyama, I didn’t know you could knit like that!’’

‘’Hey, I want you to make me one, too!’’ Hinata wailed like a little kid.

‘’Um...okay,’’ Kageyama agreed, a little smile tugging on his lips, ‘’if you want.’’

For the rest of the evening, they squeezed together on the couch drinking tea and watching a documentary on seals.

*~*~*

Hinata was last out of the shower and he looked refreshed as he bundled over to the bed, turning the lights off. The four of them had two sets of fairy-lights in the bedroom, which they left on. Tsukki was checking his instagram. Kageyama was already asleep, spent and full of Christmas food. The Christmas hat which Tsukki had managed to pop on his head was still on, askew on his dark hair, and he was still wearing the ugly Christmas jumper. Hinata felt a pang, looking at his back – no cuddling today, it seemed, like there had been no cuddling yesterday. He almost wished he could get Kageyama drunk every evening. But before he could get miserable, Yamaguchi wrapped his arms around him and tossed them sideways onto the bed. Hinata giggled and wiggled under the covers. Yamaguchi pushed them off and pulled the omega under his own duvet.

Hinata lay against Yamaguchi, his head tucked under his chin, stroking his chest. He knew he should sleep, but he couldn’t. He didn’t feel irritated or too awake, just content and sleepy but not asleep. Yamaguchi wasn’t asleep, either, stroking Hinata’s back gently and playing with his hair. Soon enough Kageyama’s slow breathing was joined by Tsukki’s, ‘’can I call you by your first name?’’ came Yamaguchi soft, curious voice.

‘’Mmmmh, sure,’’ Hinata murmured, eyes following the finger that traced patterns into Yamaguchi’s chequered PJs, ‘’if I can call you by yours.’’

‘’Okay.’’

Hinata heard a little smile in Yamaguchi’s voice.

‘’Shoyou...’’

He felt a finger snake under his chin and then his head was being tilted up and Yamaguchi’s lips were on his. Hinata exhaled into the kiss, hand fluttering automatically up to brush against Yamaguchi’s jaw. The beta deepened the kiss after a few moments and Hinata pressed harder into the kiss, hands fisting into Yamaguchi’s shirt. Yamaguchi kissed him for a few more seconds, pulled away gently, and then...

‘’I love you.’’

Hinata might have thought he’d imagined the words, had Yamaguchi not leaned down to peck his lips again, ‘’I’m in love with you, Shoyou.’’

Hinata exhaled shakily, ‘’really?’’ why was he even asking. Of course really. He’d known it for a while...but hearing it.

‘’Really,’’ Yamaguchi smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. Hinata instinctively reached up to cup his cheek, pressing another kiss to his lips.

‘’Promise?’’

‘’Promise.’’

Hinata smiled in the dark, tangling his legs up with Yamaguchi’s. He’d never thought it would be possible to fall in love with another guy, especially when he was one of four, but gods, it was too easy. Way too easy. Yamaguchi was way too easy to fall in love with.

Hinata slotted their lips together again, pulled himself right up against Yamaguchi. The beta wrapped his arms around him tightly, cradling him as they kissed, over and over. Finally, when he was ready and the shock had worn off, Hinata pulled away, and stroked Yamaguchi’s cheek with his knuckles.

‘’I love you too, Tadashi.’’


	18. As Alone As a White Church in the Middle of the Desert Getting Burned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ya so this chappie isnt massively interesting but its needed for build up. Im on xmas break now so I'll try update a lil more. Hope y'all like it, thanks for all the support <3

On Christmas morning, the four of them stood in front of their house, clutching their backpacks as Yamaguchi locked up. It hit them that for the first time since September they’d really be separated. No one knew how to feel about that. Yamaguchi turned to his mates, pocketing his key, ‘’Tsukki, are you sure you don’t want me to drive you?’’

Tsukki gave one of his smirks but he didn’t seem quite there, ‘’nah, the bus is around the corner, and I live the closest anyway.’’

‘’Okay,’’ Yamaguchi didn’t really know what to do, ‘’um...I guess we should get going now, then.’’

Hinata, who was driving Kageyama since he lived close by, padded over to Yamaguchi, ‘’merry Christmas,’’ he said dejectedly, kissing him briefly.

Yamaguchi kissed him again and pressed a last kiss to his forehead, ‘’I’ll see you one New Year’s.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata’s throat felt suddenly tight so he half-ran to his mini van and climbed into the driver’s seat. Kageyama joined him shortly after and Hinata hit the play button on the radio before he could ask if he was okay. Then they drove off.

For most of the journey, they said nothing. Hinata felt more and more torn as he put distance between him and Yamaguchi and he knew that ache would subside, eventually, if he gave it a little time. But being away from him, even for a few days, was something his omega instincts could barely take. Even so, he managed to drive properly and within an hour, he was pulling up by Kageyama’s house. Neither moved. Finally, Kageyama spoke, ‘’you wanna...uh, come in for a bit or something?’’

Hinata clutched the steering wheel to calm himself, ‘’thanks, but my family is waiting.’’

Kageyama nodded, and still didn’t move, ‘’...bye, then?’’

‘’Yeah. See ya.’’

Still, Kageyama didn’t move. Hinata was about to ask why the hell the setter was still in his car, when he felt a gentle hand mussing up his hair, ‘’it’s just a few days. Don’t have a melt down over it, idiot.’’ Hinata looked at Kageyama, surprised, and the raven moved his hand from his hair to pinch his cheek playfully, ‘’call him if you miss him.’’

That pulled a tentative smile from Hinata, ‘’thanks, Kageyama.’’

‘’Bye,’’ Kageyama said, more easily now, and slipped out of the car. Hinata watched his mom open the doors and let him in. He pulled up the music. For a moment there, he’d felt better. But now that Kageyama was gone, he felt the crushing weight of being alone again.

*~*~*

Hinata couldn’t sleep.

He sat cross-legged on his bed, in his PJs, sighing over and over. He knew if he called Tadashi, the ache in his chest would only get worse, because he wouldn’t be able to see his mate. He knew his body was being dramatic. He’d see the others in less than a week, and Kageyama was a fifteen minute bike ride from him, though he doubted he’d want to see him. Kageyama was probably cherishing the alone time. So he just sat there, unable to put a name to his emotions, unsure of what to do with himself.

There was a tentative knock on the doors and his mother walked in, two massive cups of hot chocolate in her hands, ‘’is my little pumpkin in here?’’ she asked with a gentle smile, that meant she knew Hinata was down.

‘’Where else would I be?’’ Hinata asked with a smile as his mom kicked the doors shut with her foot and padded over. Soon enough she was sitting next to her son, cradling her cup in her hands in an identical fashion to Hinata’s, ‘’so, what’s up? You were miserable all of Christmas lunch, no matter how much you tried to pretend you weren’t.’’

‘’Sorry,’’ Hinata said sheepishly even though he knew his mother did not require an apology, ‘’I just... I miss him. Tadashi. It’s like...there’s this hole in my chest. I know it’s stupid cause I’ll see him in a few days, but I still...’’ Hinata sighed, tracing a finger around the rim of his cup, ‘’I just miss him a lot.’’

His mother nodded with understanding, ‘’that’s the thing about being in love, I guess,’’ she sipped her drink thoughtfully. Hinata followed suit and wondered if his mom had slipped some Baileys into it, since small amounts of alcohol always made Hinata sleep easier, ‘’what about the others?’’

‘’Hm?’’

‘’Kageyama and that blond boy, Tsukishima? Do you miss them?’’

Hinata stared into his hot chocolate and thought about that. Was the suffocating ache in his chest enough for one person, or was it for three? ‘’I guess...a little? There’s no volleyball practice so I can’t play with Kageyama, so I miss that. We play most evenings at home. And Tsukki...well, he’s annoying,’’ Hinata sighed, ‘’okay, he’s not. I try to tell myself he is. But he’s not, not anymore. He’s not been an asshole for a while, either. He’s...really sweet, actually,’’ Hinata sighed again, ‘’I guess I do miss all of them.’’

His mom smiled mischievously and Hinata scowled, ‘’what, mom?’’

‘’You said ‘home’.’’

*~*~*

Kageyama couldn’t sleep.

He had pulled on his new volleyball hoodie – the one he’d bought with Hinata, that matched – and grabbed his old volleyball. He found himself an hour later out in the snow, hands half-frozen and stinging sharply each time the ball bounced off the wall of his house and against his hands. He wasn’t any more tired or calmed down. He was irritated, almost as much as when he was in a rut, and he couldn’t calm down. He wasn’t as much of an idiot as people thought... okay, he was, but he knew why he couldn’t go to sleep. Mostly because every time he tossed the ball, he imagined Hinata zapping around excitedly, trying to spike it. Playing with Hinata was always the most fun. Kageyama fought to get the image of the orange haired boy out of his head and it was replaced by Tsukki, blocking his dumps, making Kageyama try harder and harder. And then, when Kageyama kicked the image of the smirking blond out of his head, there was Yamaguchi, who didn’t play volleyball anymore, not even in the garden. Whom Kageyama really wanted to play with.

Kageyama kept playing for most of the night.

*~*~*

Yamaguchi couldn’t sleep.

He tossed and turned in his bed, sighed at the ceiling and drank two cups of camomile tea. He took out his phone and played wordscapes – that always calmed him. When he couldn’t think of any more letter configurations, he scrolled through instagram. He automatically migrated to volleyballtheturtle, the joint instagram account. He smiled at all the pictures, lingered on the one where he and Hinata were curled up on the sofa. Almost unconsciously, his fingers tapped up the contact list and his thumb hovered over the call button on Hinata’s name. But he didn’t want to wake his sleeping omega, if he had calmed down enough to sleep at all. Before he could fully make the decision, his phone buzzed, and Tsukki’s picture, the one where he wore his dinosaur hoodie with his middle finger up, covered the screen. Without thinking, Yamaguchi pressed the green receiver.

‘’Hello?’’ he said quietly, putting the phone to his ear.

‘’ _Hey_ ,’’ Tsukki’s voice was more of a sigh than anything.

‘’Couldn’t sleep?’’ Yamaguchi guessed, rolling onto his back.

‘’ _Yeah. I just...sorry if I woke you up._ ’’

‘’You didn’t,’’ Yamaguchi smiled softly, body relaxing at the sound of his mates voice, ‘’I’m glad you called.’’

‘’ _What are you doing?_ ’’

‘’Lying in bed. You?’’

‘’ _Same,_ ’’ there was a pause, ‘’ _I don’t really have anything I want to talk about. I just wanted to hear your voice. Can you...talk for a bit?_ ’’

Yamaguchi chuckled, ‘’not fair,’’ his voice softened, ‘’I want to hear you, too.’’

‘’ _we can take turns?_ ’’

‘’Okay,’’ Yamaguchi perked up, ‘’but you better not fall asleep before I finish talking!’’


	19. What Kind of Bubblegum Have You Been Blowing Lately?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right so it's 3:30 am here and I don't know what I'm doing.   
> Enjoy the chapter peoples!   
> And thank you so much for all the support. Your comments are so great & funny & uplifing to read, honestly.

On the morning of new years eve, Yamaguchi finally came back home and wasn’t sure what hit him. He was shuffling out of his shoes when suddenly something was stuck to him, nearly throwing him off balance. Yamaguchi huffed a laugh when he realised what – or, rather, who – it was, ‘’I missed you, too, Shoyo,’’ he told Hinata, who was clinging to him like a little monkey, and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

‘’Am I heavy?’’ Hinata mumbled into his shoulder.

‘’Not really,’’ Yamaguchi breathed in his scent and relaxed, happy to be home, with his tiny omega.

‘’Good, cause I’m not planning to let go till, like, lunch.’’

Yamaguchi chuckled and Hinata pulled back, enough to press a slow kiss to Yamaguchi’s lips, ‘’the others back yet?’’ Yamaguchi murmured distractedly, catching Hinata’s lips before he could reply. Hinata made an affirmative noise against his mouth and kept kissing him. Only once Yamaguchi felt his arms grow weaker under Hinata’s weight did he let him down gently, ‘’c’mon,’’ he put and arm around Hinata and led him out of the kitchen, and up the stairs. Tsukishima and Kageyama were already in their bedroom – Kageyama was dumping all his dirty clothes from his stay at his family home on the washing machine in the bathroom, Tsukki was tapping away on his phone.

Yamaguchi wondered if he’d imagined Tsukki’s face lighting up at the sight of him, ‘’hey, you,’’ Tsukki said and didn’t protest when Yamaguchi crossed the room and slipped in between Tsukki’s legs, wrapping his arms around his neck and nuzzling his cheek into his hair while the blond sat. Tsukki hugged Yamaguchi back around the stomach. Again, Yamaguchi wondered if Tsukki’s back muscles had really relaxed under his hands.

‘’You’re back.’’

Yamaguchi stepped out of Tsukki’s grip and walked over to Kageyama, ‘’miss me?’’

‘’A bit,’’ Kageyama mumbled, surprising Yamaguchi with his honesty. The beta hugged him, too, and Kageyama patted the top of his head, unsure of how to react to the affection.

‘’Anyway, Tsukki volunteered to be our designated driver for today,’’ Hinata said, ‘’so we can drink all we want at Noya’s. And Noya said he has fireworks! And beer pong. I’m so buzzed. Can I borrow some of your glitter, Tadashi?’’

Yamaguchi chuckled, ‘’sure.’’

That evening, around eight, their bedroom was a mess. There were clothes strung all over the bed and floor; a pair of boxers dangled from Volleyball’s terrarium and the turtle didn’t look very happy about it. Hinata had nicked Yamaguchi’s work vest and pulled it atop his hot pink, short sleeved shirt, going to town and spreading glitter on his cheekbones like highlight. Both Kageyama and Tsukki used gel to slick back their hair, bickering about who was copying who. Kageyama wore a white tank top and a leather jacket; Tsukki had rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt to his elbows. Hinata and Yamaguchi were trying hard to pretend like they weren’t salivating at the sight of them. Yamaguchi, who usually dressed up fancy for work opted for a simple black t-shirt and jeans.

*~*~*

‘’Yo, we brought alcohol!’’ Hinata bellowed as soon as he stepped into Noya’s and Asahi’s small, government issued house. The people crowded in the hallway cheered, even though Hinata was sure he didn’t even know half of them – they were probably Noya’s Uni friends. He did, however, spot Tanaka, who bounded towards him, ‘’distribute this amongst you,’’ he said, distracted, pulling out a beer bottle and handing Yamaguchi the plastic bag filled with other bottles, and went to meet his senpai.

‘’You came,’’ Tanaka caught him in a bear hug, ‘’I haven’t seen you in forever!’’ before Hinata could even reply, Tanaka took hold of Hinata’s wrist, ‘’come! Noya’s been holding off the beer pong game till you came.’’

The small kitchen was crowded with a bunch of Hinata’s high school friends, and some people from Noya’s and Asahi’s universities that were all too happy and all too drunk to welcome Hinata. Asahi was talking with some girl who was sitting up on the counter, casting his mate looks once in a while to make sure he wasn’t getting into shit. Ennoshita hovered by the garden doors, drinking from a red plastic cup and talking to Kinnoshita and Narita, till Tanaka took his wrist and drew him towards him, ‘’you’re playing.’’

Ennoshita sighed, ‘’you know I hate beer.’’

‘’I know, but you’re playing. You’ve got good eye-hand coordination,’’ Tanaka said and once Ennoshita was at his side, he kept an arm around his waist. They found out they were mates all the way back in their third year of high school, ‘’besides, I want you on my team.’’

‘’Yeah, let’s do an old Karasuno team!’’ Noya bellowed, and four of the people in the kitchen happily ventured to the other side of the kitchen table, where their cups were set out.

The game began.

*~*~*

About two hours later Hinata found himself more than tipsy and sitting on the narrow stairs leading up to the upper floor next to Noya, watching the living room where the party was in full swing, people dancing on the floor, couch and the small table in the corner, ‘’so,’’ Noya took a healthy gulp of his beer, ‘’have Kageyama or Tsukishima bit you yet?’’

Hinata gave him a look, ‘’are you kidding?’’ he slurred, ‘’those two? Pleeeease.’’

Noya chuckled at that and shook his head.

Hinata peered at him, ‘’has Asahi-san bit you?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Noya touched his neck as if he could still feel the bite, ‘’like, in the first few days.’’

Hinata choked on his beer, ‘’you did it in the first few days!?’’

The beta grinned, blushing a little, ‘’yeah.’’

Hinata hummed in thought, swaying from side to side, ‘’so how was it?’’

‘’The sex? Good. Would have been better had I not been so goddamn nervous. But you know Asahi. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. I actually kind of had to lead him through it, since he was terrified to touch me,’’ Noya laughed, ‘’and then it got amazing after that.’’

‘’Lucky,’’ Hinata pouted drunkenly around his beer.

Noya sniggered, ‘’you have three mates and you haven’t managed to drag any of them to bed?’’

Hinata glared at him with all the seriousness of a drunk nineteen year old, ‘’I didn’t want to! Tsukki’s an asshole and Kageyama’s and asshole and Yamaguchi...’’ he trailed off. Why hadn’t he done it with Yamaguchi yet?

‘’It’s cool. I get it,’’ Noya clapped him on the back, ‘’it’s just better once you get past your first time. No point being scared of it forever.’’ Hinata hummed in agreement again, drinking his beer and looking out at the dancing crowd. His eyes zeroed on Kageyama, who was standing in the corner, talking with Shimizu, who had a protective arm around a tipsy Yachi. Noya nudged Hinata with his shoulder, ‘’you wanna dance with him, don’t you?’’

‘’Nooo...’’ Hinata slurred.

‘’Liar. Go do it,’’ Noya pushed him gently off the stairs.

Hinata hesitated but the alcohol took over, and he finished his beer. He tossed the empty can to Noya, winked at him and lunged into the crowd. He pushed his way past the dancing mass till he reached the corner. The only reason why he was still upright was because the living room was so packed he couldn’t have fallen over even if he was black out drunk. Kageyama, who still had bad memories from his last hungover, seemed pretty sober, ‘’Shimizu. Yachi. Kageyama,’’ Hinata said with mock seriousness. He really did stumble when he got to the more empty corner and Kageyama caught him, kissing his teeth in irritation, ‘’ladies, I hope you don’t mind if I steal my alpha for a moment.’’

‘’Please do,’’ Yachi giggled and Shimizu smiled good-naturedly.

Kageyama, on the other hand, flushed at the way Hinata referred to him, ‘’hey, dumbass, what are you doing?’’ he protested as Hinata grabbed his hand and pulled him into the dancing crowd. In the next instance he found the omega dancing against him, shamelessly, his hips moving in a way that shouldn’t have been possible, eyes glassy and filled with something Kageyama couldn’t place, his hands mussing up is hair and then reaching up to wrap around Kageyama’s neck, pulling him close enough that Hinata could grind against him. And Kageyama couldn’t catch himself in time because in the next instance his hands were on Hinata’s hips and he was moving against him, too, and he didn’t care that they were sharing the same space, just that Hinata’s scent was overwhelming and _so_ goddamn good.

*~*~*

Tsukki was actually having a pleasant conversation with Daichi, who was the designated driver between him and Suga, in the kitchen, when said omega found them, sitting on the floor in the corner and having low alcoholic beer, ‘’hey, handsome,’’ he said with a tipsy grin, sliding into Daichi’s lap. Daichi automatically put his arm around his waist.

Daichi nuzzled his nose into Suga’s neck, ‘’having fun?’’

‘’So much,’’ Suga took Daichi’s beer out of his free hand and sipped it. His eyes fell on Tsukki, ‘’oh, by the way, your mate is in the corner of Asahi’s and Nishinoya’s bedroom’’ he held up two fingers, indicating the space in-between them, ‘’this close to making out with random people.’’

Tsukki groaned, even though a wave of protectiveness made him stand up, ‘’which fucking one?’’ he grumbled, not waiting for a reply. He stomped out of the kitchen, past the living room full of dancing, yelling people, up the stairs and up to where he though the master bedroom was located. There were at least half a dozen people inside and, to his eternal surprise, Yamaguchi was on the floor, bright red and giggling and drunk while six people shamelessly flirted with him, ‘’out,’’ Tsukki growled, enough to startle all of them.

‘’Tsukki,’’ Yamaguchi reached out for him with a drunk grin on his freckled face.

The guests didn’t have to be told twice. They scrambled out of the room, casting nervous glances at Tsukki. He slammed the doors shut behind them and locked it, before walking over to Yamaguchi and kneeling by him where he was sandwiched between the wall and the bed, ‘’what the hell are you doing? How much did you drink?’’

Yamaguchi looked around, disoriented, ‘’huh? Where did everyone go?’’

‘’How. Much. Did. You. Drink?’’ Tsukki demanded.

Yamaguchi’s eyebrows scrunched up adorably, ‘’um...dunno...Shoyo gave me the bag so I just...’’ he waved a hand clumsily in the air.

‘’Oh, god,’’ Tsukki groaned. There had been half a litre of vodka in that, ‘’sometimes I forget that you have as much idiotic tendencies as the other two.’’

‘’Shhhhh,’’ Yamaguchi giggled, ‘’you complain too much. It’s new years!’’ he patted the floor, ‘’come, sit with me.’’

‘’No space.’’

But Yamaguchi looked so miserable when Tsukki said that, that the blond sighed and picked Yamaguchi up. The dark haired boy squealed and giggled as Tsukki sat down in his space and settled him down in his lap, ‘’just till you settle down,’’ Tsukki grumbled. Yamaguchi giggled again, and started moving, ‘’hey, hold up...hey!’’ Tsukki futilely tried to stop his best friend from straddling him.

Yamaguchi leaned in, too close for comfort, ‘’don’t like this?’’ he murmured, breath tickling Tsukki’s lips. The music from downstairs boomed, shaking the floor. Slowly, Yamaguchi reached up and slid Tsukki’s glasses off. Uncertainly, Tsukki moved his hand, to brush a finger against Yamaguchi’s freckled cheek. Yamaguchi gave him a sweet, drunk smile, ‘’why are you always so afraid to touch me?’’ he murmured.

‘’Am not,’’ Tsukki flushed and slid his hand fully against Yamaguchi’s cheek.

‘’Liar,’’ Yamaguchi giggled and wrapped both arms around Tsukki’s neck, sliding closer. He nuzzled his nose against Tsukki’s, slowly, lazily, his clogged brain seeking contact. Tsukki allowed it, allowed Yamaguchi to be so close, for their noses to brush against each other...and in the next instance, their lips had slid together as easily as if they had been made just for that...

And it had been Tsukki who had leaned in.

Tsukki cupped Yamaguchi’s face properly, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. He couldn’t get enough of Yamaguchi. He’d wanted to kiss him for so long and now finally it was happening and Tsukki was afraid that it would never happen again. He held Yamaguchi close to him and kissed him and kissed him till Yamaguchi was a mewling mess against him. As soon as they parted for breath, Yamaguchi’s hands found the buttons of Tsukki’s shirt and popped the first two open, ‘’no, hey, you’re drunk...’’ Tsukki reached to stop Yamaguchi’s hands but his best friend smacked them away impatiently.

‘’Just shhh....’’ he murmured, kissing down Tsukki’s neck where he exposed his skin. Tsukki wanted to stop him. He knew Yamaguchi was too drunk to realise what he was doing but he just _couldn’t_. Right until Yamaguchi hooked clumsy fingers into his belt. Tsukki stumbled away from his desire and grabbed Yamaguchi’s wrists.

‘’No,’’ he said, firmly.

Yamaguchi looked at him for a while with glassy, alcoholic eyes, ‘’maybe you just don’t like it,’’ he breathed finally.

‘’No, hey-‘’

Suddenly the glassiness in Yamaguchi’s eyes wasn’t just from the alcohol, ‘’sorry...’’ his voice shook as he made to stand up, ‘’I shouldn’t have-‘’

‘’Don’t be stupid,’’ Tsukki murmured, pulling Yamaguchi back into his lap, ‘’and don’t cry. There’s nothing to cry about. I kissed you, remember? I leaned in. You didn’t do anything.’’

‘’I just undressed you-‘’

Tsukki cupped Yamaguchi’s face and smiled, ‘’you undid half of the buttons on my shirt. Hardly assault,’’ he closed his eyes and sighed softly, ‘’if I...hadn’t wanted to...I would have stopped you straightaway.’’

Despite his assurance, tears still fell from Yamaguchi’s eyes, ‘’s-sorry,’’ he sniffled, drunk and miserable, wiping at his eyes with his wrists, ‘’it just...all gets a bit much sometimes. The whole mate thing. Having three of you. And I...god, I really hate myself when I drink. I turn into such a mess,’’ he laughed shakily, trying to make himself stop crying.

‘’Come here,’’ Tsukki murmured. He pressed his lips to Yamaguchi’s cheek, kissing the tears away tenderly, ‘’you’re my favourite mess in the whole world,’’ he promised quietly and kissed Yamaguchi gently on the lips, ‘’don’t cry any more. It’s new years soon.’’

Yamaguchi nodded unstably and wrapped his arms around Tsukki’s neck. Tsukki held him close in his lap, ‘’do you know what the worst thing is?’’ Yamaguchi asked after a while.

‘’What?’’

‘’I probably won’t remember any of this tomorrow.’’

*~*~*

‘’Ten! Nine! Eight!...’’

Hinata tapped Kageyama’s arms excitedly. All the guests were out in the garden as Noya and Tanaka set up fireworks, counting down. Kageyama was giving Hinata a piggy back so he could see better, ‘’quit moving, you’ll fall off!’’ he told Hinata, who was still swaying from the alcohol.

Hinata threw his arms around Kageyama’s neck, ‘’sorry!’’

‘’Five! Four!...’’

Yamaguchi stepped closer to Tsukki and took his hand. Tsukki squeezed it gently.

‘’Three! Two! One!’’

Fireworks sizzled from the ground and shot up into the sky, exploding in a spray of gold and red and blue.

‘’HAPPY NEW YEAR!’’ the crowd roared.

Suddenly Hinata scrambled down from Kageyama and bound over to Yamaguchi, ‘’oh my god, Tadashi! Kiss! New year’s kiss!’’

Yamaguchi laughed and picked Hinata up. The tiny ginger wrapped his legs around his waist, his arms around his neck, and kissed the hell out of him.

A little after two am, Tsukki helped his mates into the mini van and drove his three idiots home.

*~*~*

As Yamaguchi predicted, in the morning he remembered nothing. He was infinitely disappointed that he had blacked out for the count down, and that he didn’t remember his new year’s kiss with Hinata. Tsukki didn’t remind him of what happened between them. But that morning he couldn’t fight off crushing disappointment.


	20. Shit Behind the Curtain that I'm Sick of Sugar Coating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HI LADSSS   
> I know I just always do a general thank you and I don't reply to people's comments cause I get way more than on my original work, but I really, REALLY appreciate every single one. When you guys say your favourite bits and just generally show your support it really makes this worth writing. And when y'all tell me that the characters are really believable and the plotline is not rushed but, like, well written, I just...ughhhh I just melt yano cause I hate rushed fics and I hate characters that are out of character and I try really hard to keep true to them and you guys appreciating that just makes me so happy. Thank you!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a seperate note, I'm around halfway, maybe a little bit before halfway, of this fic and I'm already thinking of others. Once upon a time I juggled 11, now I have 2 and I feel a lil empty xD Anyway, I was thinking of maybe doing another a/b/o fic after this, kind of like this one but starting with an omega run where all the alphas have the glowing-eyes and just follow their favourite's scent and most guys end up with their best friends/team mates. And it'd be all pairings from Karasuno so Kagehina and Daisuga and Tannaenno (they don't get enough love), and Yamatsukki and Asanoya and I think it's be really cool to show the difference between them. Cause, like, after their glowy-eyed period during the omega run they wake up next to whoever they fucked and they don't remember any of it?? So, I imagine Kageyama getting pissed and then he and Hina trying to work it out, and, like, Yams pining after Tsukki and Daichi trying to convince Suga that they're good together and Enno just freaking out cause he doesn't think he's good enough? And if y'all liked it I could do the same premise in seperate fics for other schools, so Aobajohsai and Nekoma and Shiratorizawa and Fukurodani etc... 
> 
> THOUGHTS???

Two days later Hinata was curled up with Yamaguchi on the couch, after school. Hinata was watching a cooking show while Yamaguchi pretended to watch, stroking Hinata’s hair, and thinking about what was coming. It was the beginning of the month and already there was a pleasant tinge to Hinata’s usual smell, that made Yamaguchi want to leaned down and inhale the scent of his skin. Hinata was very close to having his heat, but Yamaguchi was working today. And tomorrow. And the day after that.

Hinata was pulled from the TV by the sound of Kageyama coming home from his after school lessons. Even Tsukki, who was sitting in the corner, on the floor, tapping away on his laptop, looked up. The raven entered the living room, sniffed, and stopped. Then he approached Hinata and touched his hair gently, ‘’you smell nice. You’re going to have your heat soon.’’

‘’Gee, thanks, it’s almost like I don’t have a calendar in my phone telling me exactly that,’’ Hinata grumbled. He seemed more tense than usual.

‘’Don’t snap at me,’’ Kageyama scowled and Hinata hid his face in Yamaguchi’s shoulder. Kageyama dropped his hand. Hinata was trying to hide the blush that had spilled onto his cheeks as he remembered, all too vividly, how he and Tsukki and Kageyama had gotten off each other in a lust-filled, hazy three days. Kageyama sighed, ‘’you’re out of pills.’’

‘’I know,’’ Hinata mumbled.

‘’Want me to take you to the pharmacy?’’ nobody missed the soft, gentle way Kageyama said the words. Tsukki looked up again.

Hinata untangled himself from Yamaguchi and now they all realised that Hinata wasn’t simply tense – he was nervous. The ginger played with his fingers in his lap, looking at them intensely instead of around at his mates. His face nearly matched his hair in terms of colour, ‘’I-I was thinking...’’ he began shakily, ‘’t-that maybe...we...don’t have to...get the pills?’’

All eyes turned to him.

‘’b-because I wanna try...doing it...with you guys,’’ Hinata stammered, not believing that he was actually saying what had been plaguing him since last month’s heat, since his talk with Noya, ‘’but only one at a time!’’ he blurted.

Tsukki stood and came over, sitting on the edge of the couch, ‘’Hinata, what are you talking about?’’

‘’Don’t make me say it,’’ Hinata whined, hiding his red face in his hands.

‘’I’m not even sure if you know what you’re asking,’’ Tsukki said carefully, looking between the shell-shocked Yamaguchi and Kageyama, who was frozen in place with an unreadable expression.

‘’I do,’’ Hinata whispered, still not looking up, ‘’I’m asking for what I...biologically need from you guys. But not just that. I...I want us to be...’’ he curled in on himself, ‘’I don’t even know. I just thought we could...spend my heat the normal way. Even though there’s three of you.’’

For a while, they were all silent.

Finally, Yamaguchi gently reached out and pulled Hinata’s hands from his face. He dipped his head and pressed a loving kiss to his lips, ‘’are you sure?’’ he murmured, bumping their foreheads together.

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata nuzzled into him, hiding himself from the other two.

Yamaguchi smiled and pulled away, taking Hinata’s hand, ‘’then we’ll do it,’’ he squeezed Hinata’s hand, ‘’gladly.’’

Hinata exhaled, relieved, and smiled back.

Kageyama broke the moment, ‘’hold up,’’ his voice was sizzling with anger, ‘’maybe you should ask us before you go deciding, Yamaguchi? It’s all well and good that you’ll do it, but maybe the rest of us don’t want to?’’

For the first time in a while, Hinata saw Yamaguchi get visibly angry, ‘’well considering that you practically force Hinata into it every time he’s in heat, I thought that was a given.’’

Kageyama recoiled from him as if slapped and opened his mouth to argue.

‘’I’ll do it, too.’’

Tsukki’s quiet, thoughtful voice broke the agreement and all heads turned to him instead.

‘’Yamaguchi can go first,’’ Tsukki’s voice was calm but his cheeks were tinged pink, ‘’but I’ll do it too, if you want.’’

Hinata glanced at him shyly. He didn’t want to put Tsukki on the spot but... ‘’do _you_ want to?’

Tsukki didn’t look away from Hinata, whose heart started thundering in his chest, ‘’yeah,’’ Tsukki breathed finally.

Hinata smiled gently, ‘’me, too...’’

*~*~*

Yamaguchi drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. He was unbalanced, emotionally. Excited and scared and giddy and nervous and flattered and embarrassed and happy. Gods, he was so happy. He hadn’t even thought about doing it with Hinata – his priorities had been to edge his mates into their life together and to protect them, provide for them – especially Hinata who was, in essence, powerless against the two alphas. He had never dreamed that Hinata would open up so much, so quickly – and Tsukki, too. He’d never think he’d be sitting in his mini with Tsukki, driving together to get condoms and lube for Hinata’s heat, which would come in the next few days. He’d already called in sick to work, in case it came in the next three days. He had to think about what to do with Tsukki and Kageyama while he was locked with Hinata in their bedroom, but he doubted they’d go crazy – Hinata had his heat around them a couple of times already.

‘’You’re nervous,’’ Tsukki had been staring out of the window, and now glanced at his best friend, ‘’you’re drumming.’’

Yamaguchi forced his fingers to stop, ‘’sorry,’’ he laughed, feeling some tension ease from his shoulders, ‘’I’m just...nervous. As hell,’’ he didn’t take his eyes off the road, ‘’aren’t you?’’

‘’Nah.’’

‘’You’re going to be,’’ Yamaguchi sent him a quick smile.

‘’Don’t count on it,’’ Tsukki grinned.

Yamaguchi turned into a side road, ‘’so...how come you want me to go first? When...Hinata gets his heat.’’

He saw Tsukki shrug in the corner of his vision, ‘’he trusts you.’’

‘’He trusts you, too.’’

Tsukki sighed, irritated, ‘’I mean that he trusts you completely. I’ve attacked him once already and he’s a virgin. It’s better if his first time is with you,’’ there was a note that could be sadness in Tsukki’s voice, but Yamaguchi couldn’t be sure.

‘’I didn’t know you liked Hinata like that,’’ Yamaguchi steered the conversation away gently.

‘’I don’t,’’ Tsukki said quickly and then sighed, and rubbed his face in frustration. Yamaguchi had never seen someone undo Tsukki as effectively as Hinata had, exposing his desires like that, placing his trust in his mates, ‘’I mean, I do. Kind of. I don’t know. He’s cute. I like that he...needs me, even if it’s just on a biological level. I like that he...trust me, despite everything...’’ he slid down in his seat a little and Yamaguchi had a feeling he was blushing, ‘’don’t tell him.’’

‘’I won’t,’’ Yamaguchi smiled, ‘’I get it. It’s nice to be an essential part of someone’s life.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Tsukki’s voice was quieter, ‘’but it’s not just that. If it wasn’t Hinata, I don’t know if I would have said yes.’’

Yamaguchi grinned, staring ahead, ‘’what about if it was me.’’

Tsukki’s heart skipped a beat but then he caught himself, scowled and smacked Yamaguchi’s shoulder lightly, ‘’don’t joke,’’ he hesitated, ‘’by the way...how much do you remember from new years?’’

‘’I told you,’’ Yamaguchi seemed surprised by the random question, ‘’after Hinata won the beer pong game, I blacked out. I didn’t throw up, did I?’’

‘’You know you didn’t,’’ Tsukki looked out of the window again, ‘’so you don’t remember anything after that? Not anything...like how you went upstairs, or...?’’

Yamaguchi frowned, ‘’you’re acting weird,’’ his eyes widened, ‘’oh my god, I didn’t so something stupid, did I?’’

Tsukki dropped the conversation, ‘’no. Nothing stupid,’’ he murmured.


	21. They Say I'm Up and Coming Like I'm Fucking In an Elevator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HI LADSS~ IT'S HERE! FINALLY!   
> Honestly I've been waiting for 19 days updates for like, a year now, so I feel what you guys are going through with me xD Sorry for the random update schedule!! 
> 
> Also, a massive thank you to all of you. I wish I could reply to all the comments because they're so amazing and appreciative and they keep me going, but it just would take too long. Just know that I love and I am thankful for every single one.

Two days later Hinata got his heat. Nobody was surprised. It was Monday and Yamaguchi stayed at home. Around noon, he went grocery shopping. When he came back, he immediately knew Hinata had been sent home from school.

‘’Shoyo?’’ He called, dropping the grocery bags on the floor of the kitchen. The house smelled impossibly good, thanks to the scent of Hinata’s heat. Yamaguchi went into the living room and did a double take when he saw Kageyama and Tsukishima. Kageyama was growling softly, glowing blue eyes concentrating on the wall opposite him as he tried to get himself under control. Tsukki, on the other hand, didn’t seem very badly affected. His eyes flashed with a warning gold every once in a while, but he seemed fine. Kageyama was sitting in one corner of the couch while Tsukki occupied the armchair. Yamaguchi realised that the only reason for why Kageyama wasn’t upstairs, pulling his alpha bullshit on Hinata, was because Tsukki had a firm grip on his wrist and was pinning it down to the couch. Steadily, Tsukki had been asserting his dominance as the stronger alpha, ‘why are you two home?’’ Yamaguchi asked cautiously.

‘’Hinata got his heat,’’ Tsukki was talking slower than usual, like formulating sentences was hard. Yamaguchi realised Hinata’s heat affected him more than he let on, ‘’we drove him home,’’ Yamaguchi wondered what it must have been like, sitting in a closed space with two alphas who want to shag your brains out, ‘’he’s waiting for you upstairs,’’ Tsukki added, tightly.

Yamaguchi just nodded, heart hammering in his chest. He was prepared for this, though. He quickly left the living room and padded upstairs. He stopped in front of the doors to the bedroom and calmed his breathing. The smell was stronger here, dripping off the doors like a sugary syrup, and Yamaguchi wanted nothing more than stand there and inhale it. But he pushed open the doors.

Hinata was on the bed, his duvet thrown over his head so he looked like an adorable, slightly frightened bed sheet ghost. He wasn’t writhing in pain – Yamaguchi realised he’d taken his medicine. And he also realised the duvet was there to hide his erection, ‘’hey, you,’’ Yamaguchi said softly from the doors. He didn’t approach; not yet. He wanted to make Hinata feel safe, ‘’heard you got driven home.’’

‘’Kageyama cuddled me the entire way,’’ Hinata mumbled, ‘’it was nice.’’

Yamaguchi smiled fondly and then looked at his socks, feeling heat rise to his cheeks, ‘’you know...we don’t have to do this.’’

Hinata’s head shot up, ‘’you’re saying it like it’s a chore,’’ he hesitated, and then plopped sideways onto the bed, ‘’you don’t have to force yourself,’’ he mumbled. He, too, was red in the face.

‘’Idiot,’’ Yamaguchi smiled. Hinata’s embarrassment made him feel more confident. He walked across the room and drew the curtains shut, shielding them from the invasive sunlight. He then crawled onto the bed and slid in behind Hinata, putting an arm around his rolled up shape, ‘’I want to do it with you,’’ he murmured and then chuckled, ‘’you look like a sausage roll.’’

‘’Feel like one, too,’’ Hinata mumbled. That just made Yamaguchi laugh harder. Hinata relaxed at the sound and didn’t protest when Yamaguchi gently rolled him over and began untangling his little mate from it, ‘’can we do it under the covers?’’ Hinata asked shyly.

Yamaguchi smiled and pressed a kiss to Hinata’s forehead, ‘’anything you want.’’

When Yamaguchi finished untangling Hinata he threw the duvet over them. That was, Hinata wasn’t as embarrassed, even as Yamaguchi hovered above him. He reached out and brushed his fingers over Yamaguchi’s cheek, ‘’you’ve never done this before?’’

‘’Nope,’’ Yamaguchi smiled, ‘’but I know what I’m doing. I read up on it.’’

‘’Good,’’ Hinata averted his eyes and blushed again, ‘’because I can barely take it anymore.’’ Only then did Yamaguchi feel the unmistakable hardness of Hinata’s member against his thigh. He shifted so he could get the lube and condoms from the bedside table, ‘’oh, jheez, this is embarrassing,’’ Hinata hid his face in his hands when he saw what Yamaguchi pulled out.

‘’But necessary,’’ Yamaguchi put the objects on the other side of the bed for now and looked down at Hinata lovingly, ‘’don’t hide, my little mate.’’

Hinata pulled his fingers from his face and looked up at Yamaguchi. They were both flushed and giddy and a little nervous. Okay, a lot nervous. But it was Yamaguchi’s job to make sure Hinata was relaxed, no matter how wild his nerves were acting. Yamaguchi took Hinata’s hand and pinned it above his head, lacing their fingers together. He leaned forward, slowly, taking his time, till he could brush the tip of his nose against Hinata’s. Even slower, he tilted his head and pressed their lips together. Hinata craned his neck up to kiss him harder and Yamaguchi broke away for a second to pull his jumper over his head. Then he was back on top of Hinata, their lips meeting over and over in gentle kisses, ‘’you okay?’’ Yamaguchi asked, just to be sure.

‘’Mmmh,’’ Hinata’s eyes were half open, ‘’I’m hot.’’

‘’Let’s take care of that,’’ Yamaguchi pressed a kiss to his forehead and tugged his t-shirt off. His jeans followed. The blush returned to Yamaguchi’s freckled face as he hooked his thumbs into Hinata’s boxers and tugged them down.

‘’Don’t look,’’ Hinata blurted, grabbing Yamaguchi’s face and kissing him again. Yamaguchi brushed his hand against Hinata’s member experimentally. He was hard as a rock and leaking precum like a faucet. As Yamaguchi’s fingers brushed his erection, Hinata cried out, arched into his touch and came. He plopped back onto the bed, breathing hard. Yamaguchi stared at him, a little stunned and more than a little turned on, ‘’sorry,’’ Hinata whispered, ‘’I was pent up.’’ Already his erection was returning.

‘’That’s okay,’’ Yamaguchi gave a little embarrassed, giddy laugh, ‘’I think we can...get on with it.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata’s voice was deliciously breathy. Yamaguchi grabbed a packet of condoms and pulled one out, tearing it with his teeth. He pulled out a rubber circle and Hinata watched curiously, ‘’it doesn’t look like much.’’

‘’It’s quite efficient though,’’ Yamaguchi plopped the condom onto Hinata’s chest and wiggled out of his jeans and boxers, ‘’do you...um, know how to put it on?’’

‘’No. Do you?’’

‘’I guess it can’t be that hard,’’ Yamaguchi picked up the condom and concentrated on slipping the tip into the circle. He wiggled it down, watching as his erection was consumed by plastic, ‘’that’s...kind of weird.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata giggled and there were nerves in there again.

‘’Don’t be nervous,’’ Yamaguchi leaned over him and kissed the top of his head, ‘’it’s going to be okay.’’

‘’I know,’’ Hinata whispered, though he didn’t sound certain, ‘’...w-will it hurt?’’

‘’I’ll try and make it as painless as possible.’’

‘’Jheez, it sounds like some kind of medical procedure,’’ Hinata said, watching Yamaguchi pick up the lube and squirt some onto his fingers. With his clean hand, Yamaguchi nudged Hinata’s legs apart, ‘’um...’’

‘’Shhh, just don’t think about it,’’ Yamaguchi murmured, leaning over him again, the covers thrown on top so Hinata couldn’t see anything, ‘’just close your eyes,’’ Hinata’s eyes obediently fluttered shut and Yamaguchi kissed him gently as he reached down. His lubed-up finger circled the tight ring of Hinata’s entrance.

Hinata gasped, eyes flying open, ‘’that’s cold!’’

‘’You’re hyper-sensitive because you’ve come a lot today,’’ Yamaguchi said as he rubbed his fingers together to warm up the lube, ‘’just relax, Shoyo.’’

‘’I-I am relaxed,’’ Hinata grumbled, closing his eyes.

With his dry hand, Yamaguchi smoothed back his hair and kissed the tip of his nose, ‘’I could just jerk you off for the next three days, if you’d rather not do this.’’

‘’No, I do want to,’’ Hinata whispered, eyes closed, ‘’I’m just scared, that’s all. Cause all I ever hear is how omegas are abused and stuff,’’ he opened his eyes and looked at Yamaguchi, ‘’but you take care of me, Tadashi. You’ve always had. It’s just my body reacting to what I’ve been told. Once we get the first time over with...it’ll get easier.’’

‘’Now you make it sound like a chore,’’ Yamaguchi said but he smiled as he pecked Hinata’s lips, ‘’I’ll make it a hobby,’’ and then he nudged the tip of his finger into Hinata. It slid in easily. As an omega, Hinata was self-lubricating, but Yamaguchi still used the lube as extra precaution. He was surprised at how easily his entire finger slid into Hinata. The omega inhaled a shuddering breath, ‘’is that alright?’’

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’Feels weird?’’

‘’No,’’ Hinata wiggled his ass around. He was already being pulled under his heat. Alphas were controlled by an instinct to reproduce and to mate; omegas, on the other hand, craved being filled, ‘’m-more...’’ Hinata was flushed and his eyes were closed. He looked ravishing. Yamaguchi bit his lip and slid another finger into Hinata. Now there was more resistance but Hinata just mewled under him. He looked three seconds away from fucking himself on Yamaguchi’s fingers so the beta moved them himself, in and out experimentally. Hinata shuddered, ‘’that’s good...’’ he whispered.

‘’Yeah?’’ Yamaguchi hadn’t thought it would feel this good to give his mate pleasure. He assumed preparation was just a necessary thing to do before the fun bit, but now he felt like he could hover above Hinata, pumping his fingers in and out, and just watch his reactions forever.

Suddenly, Yamaguchi shifted his fingers and hit the right spot. Hinata cried out and his hand flew down to still Yamaguchi’s hand, ‘’oh, god, don’t...’’

But suddenly Yamaguchi couldn’t control himself. He pumped his fingers in and out, faster, hitting that same spot. Hinata’s head fell back and he fisted his hands into the covers, ‘’s-stop! I’ll come. Please! Tadashi, please, it’s too much...’’ he was blabbering now, the tirade of words falling from his lips the only thing stopping him from going over the edge.

Yamaguchi kissed him, hard, ‘’it’s alright. Come for me, Shoyo.’’

That’s all it took for Hinata to cry out again and splutter all over his stomach. Yamaguchi withdrew his fingers with a satisfying pop and Hinata half-opened his eyes. They were glassy with desire, ‘’you big meanie,’’ he mumbled. Yamaguchi smiled at him and leaned in closer, till they were chest-to-chest. Under the covers, he spread Hinata’s legs more comfortable and settled in between them. He gave Hinata a minute to settle after his orgasm, for his erection to come back, and while he waited he spread slow kisses over his neck and chest. Finally, Hinata wrapped his arms around Yamaguchi’s neck and hugged him close, ‘’do it?’’ he asked shyly.

Yamaguchi didn’t need to be told twice. He navigated his erection till it brushed against Hinata’s entrance and pushed the head gently in. Hinata went very still and taunt, squeezing around Yamaguchi so much it almost became painful. Yamaguchi winced and lifted Hinata ever so slightly off the bed, pressing him closer to his body, so he could ran a hand down his back in comfort, ‘’relax. Does it hurt?’’

‘’A-a little,’’ Hinata was breathing hard. Yamaguchi knew it was fear more than anything that was making Hinata tense up; he pulled out, ‘’wha...? Why did you pull out?’’ Hinata whimpered.

Yamaguchi laid him gently down. Hinata’s eyes were glassy still, but this time from unshed tears. Yamaguchi brushed his hair back and caressed his face, ‘’it’s fine if you can’t take it, Shoyo.’’

‘’I can take it,’’ Hinata mumbled.

‘’No, you can’t.’’

‘’I can!’’ Hinata protested and pulled Yamaguchi close again, ‘’please...’’

Yamaguchi relented. He positioned himself and pushed inside but again Hinata tightened once the head was in. He was trembling in Yamaguchi’s arms. Yamaguchi had to relax him, so he leaned down and brushed his lips against the shell of Hinata’s ear, ‘’I love you, you know?’’ Hinata exhaled sharply, and simultaneously loosened around Yamaguchi’s erection. Yamaguchi brushed his hands up and down Hinata’s bare arms under the covers, ‘’I love you more than I can say,’’ Yamaguchi began pushing in, gently, and Hinata didn’t tense up. Inch by inch, he slid inside him, ‘’I can’t take being away from you. I’m so glad we’re mates. I love you. I love you so much.’’ And he realised that he wasn’t just saying all that to relax Hinata; he meant it, and he wanted his mate to know it.

‘’M-me too,’’ Hinata whispered as Yamaguchi slid all the way in, ‘’I love you, too.’’

‘’I know,’’ Yamaguchi dropped a kiss on his head. He tried not to let the heat and tightness of Hinata overwhelm him but, god, it felt so good. He gathered Hinata against him; his mate was breathing hard, ‘’feels alright?’’

In response, Hinata ground against him. He wound his arms around his back and drew his fingers down his back, looking for purchase. Yamaguchi shuddered, ‘’move,’’ Hinata panted out. So Yamaguchi did. He pulled out and then sheathed himself in Hinata again. A moan spilled from Hinata’s mouth. The next one Yamaguchi caught in his mouth as they kissed. Every inch of them was connected and Yamaguchi felt that if he was ever made to let go of Hinata, he’d lose his mind. Too quickly, Hinata was coming onto his stomach again but before Yamaguchi could slow his thrusts, Hinata gripped him tighter, ‘’keep going,’’ he whispered. He was sensitive again, and more moans spilled from his mouth. Loud moans – Hinata didn’t care that Tsukki and Kageyama could probably hear them. He thrust into his mate in long, sensual strokes and with each one, Hinata arched his back. He seemed to like it like that – slow and gentle, the way every time Yamaguchi pulled out and thrust in, Hinata could feel every inch entering him. Yamaguchi only picked up the pace at the end, when he was close to finishing. Hinata clung to him desperately and Yamaguchi gritted his teeth as he came, filling the condom. Hinata came, too – Yamaguchi lost count of how often he’d done that. He wondered how he wasn’t spent yet.

Yamaguchi made to pull out but Hinata clung to him, ‘’stay a little longer,’’ he whispered. Yamaguchi collapsed on top of Hinata, who squeezed him tight to his body. They worked off their orgasms, breathing hard against each other’s skin. Finally, Hinata’s arms went limp and Yamaguchi pulled out, plopping down next to him.

Hinata looked unbelievably tired, but he’d be a ball of stamina in an hour or so. Yamaguchi looked at him, at his flushed, sweaty skin, his blazing hair, half-closed, glazed-over eyes, his plump, wet lips, the way his small chest was heaving up and down... ‘’you’re breath-taking, you know that?’’ Yamaguchi whispered.

Hinata flushed and smiled at the ceiling and then turned to smile at Yamaguchi, ‘’thank you,’’ he murmured, ‘’that was really good.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Yamaguchi agreed, ‘’need a power nap?’’

Hinata nodded and shuffled over to Yamaguchi, who opened his arms for him. Hinata was asleep in seconds.

*~*~*  


At the first sound of Hinata’s moans, Tsukishima wanted to march upstairs and tell then two of them to shut up. But he knew that if he ventured anywhere near upstairs while they were doing it, he’d lose control. So instead he concentrated on Kageyama, who went crazy at the sound of Hinata’s moans spilling from upstairs like a fountain.

‘’Kageyama, no!’’ Tsukishima jumped onto the couch before Kageyama could bolt off it and grabbed him around the waist. The practically threw him between his legs, and threw one over Kageyama’s waist like a seat-belt, leaning him against his other leg. He caged him in with his arms, ‘’stop,’’ he growled directly against his ear. Kageyama shoved against his chest with a rabid desperation, eyes glowing a fiery blue. Tsukki gave another warning growl and caught his hands. Kageyama twisted his body, facing Tsukki; he looked downright feral, ‘’Yamaguchi is taking care of him,’’ Tsukki said. He aimed for a level, calm tone but his voice was strained as well.

Tsukki let go of Kageyama’s hands and grabbed his waist to stop his desperate wiggling, locking his feet behind his lower back, caging him in with his body. Once his hands were free, Kageyama dug his fingers into Tsukki’s shoulders, hard. Tsukki winced but allowed him to do it. Kageyama growled in warning before biting down on Tsukki’s shoulder, through his t-shirt. Tsukki let him do it, despite the pain; as long as it stopped him from hurtling upstairs and disturbing their other mates. Kageyama loosened his teeth and bit Tsukki again, in the spot next to the previous one. When the third bite came, however, on the side of Tsukki’s neck, it was gentler. Kageyama growled again.

‘’It’s okay,’’ Tsukki’s voice was finally under control. He kept it low, calming, ‘’calm down, you big idiot,’’ he slid an arm around his waist, keeping him in place, and moved the other up his back in a comforting gesture, ‘’here,’’ he reached his mop of dark hair and slid his fingers into it, angling Kageyama’s head so he could nudge his nose just under Tsukki’s ear, against his scent glands. Kageyama’s hands, scratching at Tsukki’s shoulders and chest, slowed. Eventually, they fisted in Tsukki’s shirt as he inhaled his scent, nuzzling his nose into his scent glands.

‘’There you go,’’ Tsukki exhaled, relieved that Kageyama had calmed down, and stroked his fingers gently through Kageyama’s hair. He made sure to keep Kageyama’s head there so he wouldn’t get distracted by Hinata’s scent. He just had to hold out until Hinata stopped moaning. Kageyama jerked every time a new moan flooded downstairs, and Tsukki tightened his arms around him when he did. But Kageyama didn’t move his head, leaning on Tsukki.

Thought he’d never admit it, Tsukki held Kageyama long after Hinata stopped moaning, and finally fell asleep.

*~*~*

Tsukki never borrowed anyone his earphones – but now they were securely on Kageyama’s head, drowning out Hinata’s moans. It was night and Kageyama was curled up in the corner of the couch, Tsukki’s music allowing him to sleep. Tsukki watched him for a good half an hour. When he was sure Kageyama was definitely asleep, he pulled the earphones off gently. He lowered Kageyama onto the couch, lying him comfortably across the square. He didn’t want Kageyama to have a crap in his neck the next day. They didn’t have any blankets but after a day of fighting to keep control over Kageyama, Tsukki was exhausted and he didn’t really care. He lay down behind his mate and draped an arm around his waist, to feel if he woke up and went berserk again...and just because he wanted to.

*~*~*

Hinata had stamina from hell. He fell asleep as if he’d been knocked out, and Yamaguchi only managed to doze off before he was being roused. Hinata looked guilty each time, but his eyes were pleading and his erection was prominent. They did it for the whole day and the whole night, with short pauses for sleep. Yamaguchi was running low on energy. He wished he was an alpha, with stamina made to keep up with that of an omega. But he would not let the fact that he was a beta get in the way of satisfying his mate. So after he couldn’t fuck Hinata anymore, he lay him down and stroked his erection lazily and he came, over and over again. He used his mouth a couple of times, too. Every time they lay down to fall asleep in each other’s arms, Hinata apologised profoundly and Yamaguchi just smiled at him, making Hinata’s heart skip a beat. At night, Hinata settled for using his hand so Yamaguchi could get his sleep. He only woke him up twice, when he needed him so badly he thought he’d get mad.

But that meant Yamaguchi was ready for it the next morning.

They had the good sense to clean up the previous evening, after having sex twice, and in the morning they managed to brush their teeth before falling back into bed and going at it again. They were lying side by side, staring at each other and caressing each other’s faces in the precious minutes before Hinata’s erection came back when Tsukishima came into the room, followed closely by Kageyama.

Yamaguchi didn’t know where it had come from. Suddenly Yamaguchi was shoving Hinata behind him, shielding his naked body from view with his own, and he was growling. Low. Dangerous. A warning for the alphas not to come close to his mate – an instinct that had ripped out of him all by itself. Tsukki slowly put his hands up, showing a large bottle of water and a plate of sandwiches. He approached cautiously while Kageyama lingered by the doors. He was trying to spot Hinata, his eyes flashing blue. Tsukki set down the food and drink on the bedside table, ‘’have some. So you don’t starve,’’ he said gently and Yamaguchi finally relaxed. His eyes followed Tsukki’s movements. Tsukki bit his lip, ‘’Kageyama wanted to see if Hinata was alright. He’s been going crazy. Can he come over for a moment?’’

Even though Yamaguchi’s eyes were not glowing, some primitive instinct had been awoken in him and he was as feral as the alphas got when around their mate in heat. But, slowly, he nodded his head and reached backwards for Hinata, who slid forward in the covers. Yamaguchi set him down in his lap and pulled the blanket over him, covering his naked body from view. Hinata looked between Kageyama, Tsukki and Yamaguchi uneasily, but Yamaguchi’s gentle hand, stroking his arm, calmed him down, as did the reassuring glance from Tsukki, whose eyes were their ordinary hazel. Tsukki nodded his head and Kageyama came forward. He stopped a foot before the bed and stared at Hinata with burning eyes.

Hinata gave a tentative smile, ‘’I’m fine, Kageyama.’’ Suddenly, Kageyama stepped forward and slid to his knees by the bed, in front of Hinata. Yamaguchi didn’t growl; he just watched. Hinata half untangled himself from the blanket and reached out, cupping Kageyama’s face, ‘’I’m fine,’’ he repeated, gently. He leaned down to rest his forehead against Kageyama’s and the raven closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. He reached up with a large hand and held one of Hinata’s hands against his cheek. He pulled away first and quickly left the room, as if he knew he’d lose control soon enough. Yamaguchi tucked the blanket back around Hinata and nuzzled into his neck. Yamaguchi welcomed the touch, but his eyes slid to Tsukishima.

‘’Tsukki...’’ he whispered.

Tsukki reached out and ran a gentle hand through Hinata’s fiery hair, ‘’let me know if you need anything,’’ he said softly.

 _I need you! I need all of you!_ Hinata wanted to scream at him. With Yamaguchi, he felt so good – cared for and loved and almost constantly in a state of gentle, white bliss. But a part of him could not be satisfied, and he knew that this was because his body was wired, from the moment he was conceived, to be with three people, not one. And he knew that during his next heat, if Tsukki still wanted to do it with him, he wouldn’t be completely satisfied, either.

But he didn’t say anything.

Tsukki glanced at Yamaguchi, who was watching him curiously now. When Yamaguchi didn’t flinch or growl, Tsukki reached for him and slid a hand against his cheek, ‘’take care of each other.’’ At that, Yamaguchi’s eyes softened. Tsukki leaned down and pressed a kiss to the beta’s forehead. Then he, too, left the room.

*~*~*  


For the next two days all Hinata and Yamaguchi did was fuck and eat and sleep and enjoy each other’s presence. Hinata woke up in the evening of the third day and knew his heat was over. He crawled out of bed, where Yamaguchi was dead asleep. He was sticky and sweaty, just like Hinata, and somehow that brought a shy, embarrassed smile to Hinata’s lips. He’d finally had sex, and with the person whom he wanted to do it with, too. After putting on a pair of clean boxers, he crept into the bathroom in the darkness, turned on the light and filled the bath tub with hot water. He felt the presence of his alphas before he even turned. Tsukki was leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, arms crossed, while Kageyama stood behind him, yawning and rubbing his eyes. They must have been sleeping on the couch, ‘’heat over?’’ Tsukki asked.

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata smiled at him. His stomach was in butterflies. He didn’t think it was possible to be so madly in love with someone.

Tsukki opened his arm and Hinata went to him, wrapping his arms around his middle, letting himself be hugged. Tsukki was warm and despite his mad stamina, Hinata was sleepy. Tsukki stroked his back, ‘’need anything?’’

‘’Yeah. Can you bring Yamaguchi here? I think he deserves a bath. And change the sheets, please. And come sleep with us.’’

‘’Done,’’ Tsukki squeezed Hinata to his body briefly and then turned, taking Kageyama’s wrist, ‘’come on, idiot. Let’s get ready for bed.’’

Hinata finished filling the bathtub and turned off the water flow. A moment later Tsukki was coming into the bathroom, carrying Yamaguchi in his arms, bridal-style. The beta was as naked as the day he was born and Tsukki made a point of not look down at his cargo. Hinata smiled, ‘’in the tub,’’ Yamaguchi was gently lowered into the warm water, ‘’thanks,’’ Hinata said, ‘’we’ll come in a bit.’’

‘’Kay,’’ Tsukki left the room, sleepy himself, and closed the bathroom doors behind him.

Hinata stripped off his boxers and slid into the tub, which was as big as everything else in the house. He straddled Yamaguchi and picked up his sponge, soaping it up. Yamaguchi woke up when Hinata began scrubbing his chest with it, ‘’is your heat over?’’ he asked in a sleepy voice, slightly disappointed.

‘’I thought you’d be relieved,’’ Hinata smiled, lowering the sponge beneath the water line to scrub at Yamaguchi’s stomach. Without looking up, his ears tinged pink, he said, ‘’you know...us doing it...isn’t exclusive to when I’m in heat.’’

Yamaguchi shifted under him and when Hinata looked up, there was a tired, but radiant, smile on his face, ‘’good,’’ was all he said as he reached out to caress Hinata’s cheek. Hinata smiled back and pressed a kiss to the base of his palm.

‘’Thank you, by the way,’’ he said.

‘’For doing my duty as a mate? For doing something I’ve been wanting to do for longer than either of us realise?’’ Yamaguchi whispered and pulled Hinata closer, ‘’I should be thanking you,’’ he kissed Hinata.

A good half hour later, when they were clean and in warm, dry clothes they padded down the corridor, holding hands. When they entered the room, their mates were asleep in the freshly changed bed...next to each other. Tsukki had an arm around Kageyama’s waist and Kageyama was sleeping with a light frown on his face, as if he’d been fighting Tsukki about the hug before finally giving in. Hinata smiled at the scene before crawling into bed. This way, Kageyama couldn’t turn his back on him and he readily shuffled forward, right up against Kageyama, ‘’you, too?’’ Kageyama grumbled – he wasn’t asleep after all.

‘’Hug,’’ Hinata demanded. His eyelids were already dropping. When Kageyama didn’t react Hinata added a soft, ‘’please.’’

Kageyama finally relented, tired himself, and put an arm around Hinata’s waist. Yamaguchi slid in behind Hinata and hugged him, too. Hinata closed his eyes and fell asleep with a smile on his lips.  


	22. I'm In Love with a Shooting Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HI DARLINGS THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT Y'ALL ARE AWESOME <3

The day after his heat, Yamaguchi went to visit his family and the atmosphere at the house was...

...awkward.

Kageyama could barely look at Hinata in the light of day, after what had happened between him and Yamaguchi. So Hinata had no idea why the raven made a point of watching TV with him, ‘’you know,’’ Hinata said, glancing at Kageyama who was squeezed into the opposite corner of the couch, arms crossed, his entire body language communicating that he’d rather be anywhere else, ‘’I can really watch TV by myself.’’

‘’Wanna watch,’’ Kageyama grumbled.

Hinata looked dubiously at the cooking show playing on the screen, ‘’...it’s not even volleyball.’’

Tsukki, sitting on the armchair, rolled his eyes. He was a little bit better with handling the whole thing but Kageyama’s awkwardness rubbed off on him. Hinata didn’t think he would manage to stomach Kageyama’s attitude a second longer when, suddenly, ‘’was it good?’’

‘’Huh?’’ Hinata looked at Kageyama again, question-marks in his eyes.

Kageyama kissed his teeth, eyes pinned to the TV, ‘’doing it with Yamaguchi. Was it good?’’

Hinata stared at him, ‘’is _that_ what’s gotten you into a mood?’’

‘’Shut up,’’ Kageyama snarled, his walls coming up.

Hinata flushed, ‘’it was...amazing, actually. Like, better than curling up and waiting through it,’’ both Tsukki and Kageyama looked up, ‘’I’m just...glad I finally did it. With him,’’ he turned shy, brown eyes on Tsukki, ‘’do you...still want to?’’

Too quick to be casual, Tsukki turned back to typing on his laptop, ‘’I rarely change my mind.’’

Hinata scrambled to the edge of the couch and leaned out as far as he could, peering at Tsukki, ‘’yes, but do you _want_ to?’’

Tsukki scowled at him, embarrassed, ‘’idiot. If I didn’t want to, I’d tell you.’’

Hinata gave him a tentative smile that melted the scowl right off his face, ‘’good. Because I want to, too.’’

Kageyama pretended he couldn’t hear them.

*~*~*

‘’Look what I found.’’

Three heads turned towards Tsukki, standing in the doorway. Yamaguchi had come back in the evening, dispelling some of the awkwardness. He was balancing bills on the floor, leaning his back against the couch. Hinata was revising math with Kageyama, but both looked more inclined to do something else – which is why when Tsukki walked in with a dusty chess board, Kageyama perked up, ‘’you play?’’

‘’Yeah. It’s good for your brain,’’ Tsukki jumped onto the couch, ‘’you?’’

Kageyama nodded and put the chessboard between them, setting out the pieces. Yamaguchi smiled and closed the balancing book, crawling up onto the couch with his mates. He immediately migrated towards Hinata, whom he pulled in between his legs and pressed against his chest. Hinata was warm and compact, as always. As they watched Tsukki and Kageyama play, Yamaguchi stroked Hinata’s arms and then his hands, rubbing firm circles into the backs of them. And then, seemingly innocently, his hands fell against his stomach and went lower. Hinata tensed up when they reached the button of his jeans, staring frantically between Tsukki and Kageyama to see if they noticed. Both seemed concentrated on their game. Hinata drew his knees up, hiding himself from view and Yamaguchi silently undid his button and slipped his hand within.

Yamaguchi chuckled quietly in Hinata’s ear as the ginger grabbed his wrist, panicked that the other two would see. But Yamaguchi didn’t stop and soon enough Hinata gave a quiet sigh and released Yamaguchi’s wrist. The beta’s hand started rubbing against Hinata’s member through his underwear, and by the time he slipped his hand under that, too, Hinata was hard. Yamaguchi settled for lazy, slow strokes, comfortable with the amount of precum the omega spilled, as he watched the game between the two alphas. For some reason, Tsukishima couldn’t seem to be able to beat Kageyama.

Hinata pressed his hand to his mouth to stop the small gasps that threatened to escape his lips. His head fell back against Yamaguchi’s shoulder all by itself as Yamaguchi increased the pace a fracture. Hinata curled backwards into him, trying hard not to make any noises. He was close, driven to the edge by the constant fear of being spotted by one of his two alphas. And then, suddenly, ‘’hey, Tsukki?’’ Yamaguchi said casually.

Hinata’s heart stopped. His body tensed again and he fought off his orgasm which nearly drove him mad. Tsukki didn’t even glance up, ‘’Mmmh?’’ he said, concentrated on the game, brows furrowing.

‘’Do we have enough bread for tomorrow?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Tsukki said, distractedly, and Hinata relaxed, realising he wasn’t going to look up. Immediately he tensed back up again when Yamaguchi stroked him faster.

And then...

‘’Oh gods, Yamaguchi, stop...’’ Hinata mewled out loud and moaned, unable to keep it at bay as he came all over Yamaguchi’s hand, shaking.

Kageyama’s and Tsukki’s heads shot up and their eyes widened. Yamaguchi sent them a cheeky grin, ‘’sorry about that boys. Enjoy your game.’’ He untangled himself from Hinata and jumped off the couch, going for the upstairs bathroom. Hinata clumsily pulled up his underwear, did up his pants and scrambled after him. He caught up with Yamaguchi in the bathroom and he pushed him against the tiled wall, pinning him there.

‘’I didn’t know you were such a tease,’’ there was no real anger in Hinata’s voice and soon enough a radiant smile broke through. Here he was, worried Yamaguchi wouldn’t want to touch him outside his heat; and there was Yamaguchi, who could barely control himself.

Yamaguchi, having washed his hands, put a finger under Hinata’s chin and gave him a chaste kiss, ‘’I don’t want you to get bored of me,’’ he said with a grin.

But Hinata was fully serious as he whispered, ‘’I could never,’’ and kissed his mate.


	23. It Was a Wicked and Wild Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi lads! Thanks for all the support, as always <3

Hinata glared at Kageyama when a volleyball bounced off his head. It was a Friday and Yamaguchi was off at work, leaving Hinata and the two alphas at home. Tsukki was fixing supper in the kitchen and Hinata had been curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him, watching National Geographic, when Kageyama had graciously decided to bounced a ball off his head, ‘’what’s your problem?’’

‘’Come play volleyball,’’ Kageyama said, unfazed, catching the ball and tucking it under his arm. He was wearing the jumper that he bought with Hinata.

The omega wrapped the blanket harder around himself, ‘’don’t wanna,’’ he grumbled.

Kageyama stared at him blankly, ‘’you don’t want to play?’’

‘’I’m cold. And tired.’’

‘’You _always_ want to play.’’

‘’Well I don’t want to play now!’’ Hinata snapped defensively, ‘’I told you, I’m cold and tired.’’

Kageyama glared at him, ‘’are you like this because you’re heat is coming up?’’ Hinata groaned and dumped himself back on the couch. Kageyama kissed his teeth, ‘’you used to always want to play. It’s your omega bullshit. I wish you were normal.’’

He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth and he wanted to gather them up and stuff them back in; but it was too late. Hinata sat up; he was seething mad, ‘’normal? _Normal_? I’m sorry, does being _normal_ mean doing things you want to do when I don’t want to do them? Do you wish I was a _normal_ omega, and I’d go play volleyball with you whenever you wanted even though it’s nine pm on a January night, and I’d make you breakfast and supper and dinner and drop out of school and clean the house and never speak out of turn and suck you off whenever you want to and spread my legs every time I’m in heat-‘’

‘’Hey, I never-‘’

Hinata jumped off the couch, ‘’or do you wish I was just _normal_ overall? That I wasn’t an omega? That I was a beta? So maybe I wouldn’t get these stupid heats that are super painful and I wouldn’t feel tired and cold the week before and I wouldn’t go into heat at all so you wouldn’t have to worry about shoving your dick into the wrong person? And maybe you wish that I wasn’t an omega cause then maybe we wouldn’t be mates at all!’’ Hinata knew his voice was going high pitched and wobbly but goddamn he’d had enough of it all. Of the way Kageyama acted around him. Like they never would be anything more than friends. And he hated how Kageyama made him feel stupid about things, like asking Yamaguchi and Tsukki to sleep with him.

But mostly he just loved him. And he hated admitting that to himself.

Hinata shoved past Kageyama and stormed up the stairs, leaving Kageyama stunned, looking at the volleyball in his hands. The raven let it roll out from between his fingers and bounce off the floor.

Tsukki appeared in the doorway to the kitchen and sighed, ‘’come here.’’

Kageyama flinched and turned away. He blinked furiously. Why were his eyes stinging? ‘’No, I...’’

‘ _’Come here._ ’’

Kageyama couldn’t exactly disobey an order from an alpha that was more dominant than him so he turned around, like a robot, and walked into the kitchen. Tsukki was leaning his back on the counter, arms crossed. God, he really was a giant, ‘’what was that about?’’

‘’Nothing,’’ Kageyama stared at his feet. The stinging wouldn’t go away.

‘’Are you going to cry?’’ Tsukki asked gently.

‘’No,’’ Kageyama said stubbornly even when the first tear rolled down his cheek and splattered on the tiled floor.

Tsukki sighed and Kageyama flinched again. Not only was he making Hinata furious, he was also irritating Tsukki with his behaviour.

‘’There’s nothing to cry about.’’

‘’I know,’’ Kageyama said, even as the tears kept coming.

‘’You fought. It happens.’’

‘’I know,’’ Kageyama said and sniffed, ‘’why do I...always have to...ruin everything?’’

‘’Oh, fuck it. Come here,’’ this time it wasn’t a command as Tsukki reached out, took Kageyama’s wrist and pulled him towards him. In the next instance Kageyama was nuzzling his nose just below Tsukki’s ear and Tsukki had his arms around him tightly, ‘’I told you,’’ Tsukki said softly, ‘’this was just a fight. You didn’t ruin anything between you and Hinata. I don’t think you can. That idiot loves you too much. Don’t cry anymore,’’ he made as if to push Kageyama off him gently but the raven latched on.

‘’Longer,’’ he said in a strangled, desperate voice.

Tsukki, who had not wanted to push his affection on Kageyama, now hugged him in earnest, holding him close and burying his face in his hair. He stroked his back comfortingly as Kageyama wrapped his arms around Tsukki’s neck and sniffled, ‘’am I irritating you?’’ he asked in an uncharacteristically small voice.

‘’Don’t be stupid,’’ Tsukki murmured. He loosened his arms and Kageyama slipped his hands from around Tsukki’s neck, resting them against his chest lightly. Tsukki looked down at him, ‘’you should apologise to him. He said some wildly assumptive things, and I know you didn’t mean that he wasn’t normal. But he’s as much of an idiot as you are. He’ll need explaining.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Kageyama sniffled one last time, ‘’I’m just...bad at apologies.’’

Tsukki shrugged, ‘’I’m bad at comforting, and yet here I am.’’

‘’You’re actually pretty good,’’ Kageyama rested his forehead just below his collarbone for a moment, ‘’thanks, Tsukki.’’

‘’Anytime, king,’’ Tsukki gave him one last squeeze.

*~*~*

A piece of paper appeared in Hinata’s line of vision. He’d been sulkily scrolling through instagram.

‘’What’s that?’’ he grumbled.

‘’Apology.’’

‘’Huh?’’ Hinata looked up at Kageyama. He was blushing and extending the piece of paper to Hinata.

The ginger took it hesitantly and set it in his lap. It was a scarily accurate picture of him, jumping to spike a ball. Hinata blinked, ‘’did you have a photo?’’

Kageyama cleared his throat awkwardly, ‘’memory.’’

Hinata glanced up at him and smiled. Kageyama’s whole body relaxed, ‘’you must stare at me a whole lot.’’

Kageyama looked away and blushed again, ‘’are you...still cold?’’

‘’A bit.’’

‘’Scoot up.’’

Hinata obediently shuffled down on the bed and Kageyama slid in next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders. It was a purely ‘bro’ gesture, but it was something, and Hinata half-snuggled into him, admiring the drawing, ‘’it’s really good. Thank you.’’

Kageyama looked at him and when Hinata met his gaze, he didn’t look away, ‘’I’m sorry about what I said. You’re normal. Well, you’re not. You’re a freak of nature with your jumping skills. But I like that. I like that you’re freaky. I like that you’re not boring. I just...I’m glad you’re not normal, okay?’’

Hinata’s smile widened and then fell as he dropped his eyes, ‘’are you...glad that we’re mates?’’

There was a long silence. Too long. Hinata wished he hadn’t asked.

Kageyama brushed his lips against Hinata’s forehead in the lightest of kisses, ‘’sure,’’ he whispered.

‘’Kageyama, can I call you Tobio?’’ Hinata blurted suddenly. It had been on his mind for too long.

Kageyama went red from head to toe, ‘’sure.’’

‘’T-then you can call me Shoyo,’’ Hinata mumbled, red himself.

‘’Kay.’’

‘’Kay.’’

‘’R-right,’’ Kageyama slipped off the bed, ‘’I’m going to get supper then, Shoyo.’’

‘’I-I’ll come too, if you don’t mind, T-T-Tobio?’’

‘’Yep. Go right ahead, Shoyo,’’ Kageyama was already walking towards the doors.

Even his ears were read.


	24. I Was Not Born to Drown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit longer, as thanks for all the lovely support. Enjoy!

It happened so suddenly.

It was one of the first sunny, if freezing, February days and Yamaguchi had gone out for a walk, leaving Tsukki and Kageyama squabbling over the TV. As he was coming back, he got a phone call from Hinata – the omega had been visiting his parents and fell sick the previous day, so his parents decided to keep him in bed rather than drive him home. Yamaguchi had been concerned but he couldn’t come down to Hinata’s house in Miyagi because of work. Now he received another phone call, ‘’hello?’’

‘’Tadashi...’’ Hinata’s voice was soft, mumbly, wet with tears.

Yamaguchi stopped. He could see his house already but he didn’t approach, ‘’Shoyo? Are you okay?’’ he paused, ‘’you got your heat,’’ he guessed.

‘’Yeah...two days ago...’’ Hinata sounded miserable and Yamaguchi gasped – Hinata hadn’t told him! ‘’my parents got me my medicine but...I wanted to hear you.’’

Yamaguchi’s heart contracted, ‘’I’ll come down-‘’

‘’No,’’ Hinata said quickly, ‘’I’m alright. I’m fine. I just miss you, is all, and I forgot how weird it was to spend my heat alone. But you have work.’’

‘’ _Fuck_ work,’’ Yamaguchi so rarely swore. He calmed down instantly and, in a softer voice, added, ‘’I’d rather fuck you.’’

‘’You’re getting as bad as Tobio with the swearing,’’ Hinata aimed for a light tone but his voice was strained. He wanted Yamaguchi, too, and not just because of his heat.

‘’Yeah, well, the guys are driving me crazy,’’ Yamaguchi’s voice remained soft, ‘’I should probably go check up on them. They were really annoyed today morning – their ruts are probably full blown now.’’

‘’Kay,’’ Hinata whispered.

Yamaguchi sighed, ‘’if it gets any worse, call me. I’ll cancel my shift, alright?’’

‘’Alright.’’

‘’I’ll call you in the evening, before bed.’’

‘’Thanks,’’ Hinata murmured, ‘’tell Tsukki I’m sorry? And that I...still wanna do it. Next time.’’

‘’Got ya.’’

‘’I love you.’’

‘’I love you, too. So much. Take care of yourself,’’ Yamaguchi hung up and sighed again. The last thing he needed was two alphas in rut to deal with, but someone had to do it. As he approached the house, he was already deciding where to put the two of them so they wouldn’t bother him. His thoughts flew out of his head, however, when he walked into the kitchen. It happened so suddenly – twenty minutes ago the two of them had been squabbling on the couch. Now they were at each other’s throats. Yamaguchi watched in shock as Kageyama pounced on Tsukki, pinning him against the kitchen counter. The kitchen itself was a mess, like the two of them had been a tornado blazing through it – appliances and broken dishes lay all over the floor. Yamaguchi snapped out of his shock when Tsukki kicked Kageyama away violently and the raven flew across the kitchen and slammed into the wall, chunks of tile falling down. He didn’t even manage to slide down the ruined wall, before Tsukki was on him, pinning him there with a hand at his throat. They were both breathing hard and growling, and both their eyes were glowing.

‘’Tsukki, let go!’’ Yamaguchi bellow, grabbing an unsuspecting Tsukki by the arm and yanking him away violently. He stood in front of Kageyama, who could stand by himself now, his hands fluttering nervously over his face and head, ‘’are you hurt? Kageyama, talk to me. Are you bleeding?’’ but Kageyama didn’t say anything, and his eyes continued to glow blue. Yamaguchi got angry, ‘’stupid, stop pulling your alpha bullshit on me! I need to know if you’re-‘’

Suddenly, Kageyama gave a placating growl and dived down. In the next instance his hands were roving over Yamaguchi’s hips and his lips were at his neck, kissing furiously. Yamaguchi flushed head to toe and tried futilely to push Kageyama off him to no avail, ‘’stop it, Kageyama!’’ he said, voice high in panic and something else, ‘’I’m not Hinata! I’m not a substitute for him-‘’ Yamaguchi understood the fear that Hinata went through those few times the alphas had attacked him as he tried with all his might to push Kageyama off him, and the raven didn’t even budge. His hands slid under Yamaguchi’s jumper to desperately brush against his bare skin.

As quickly as Kageyama had come onto him, he was gone. Yamaguchi looked up, dazed and hazy from the sudden emotions that overcame him and had gone straight to his groin, to see a pissed off, but clear eyed, Tsukki, who had grabbed Kageyama by the back of his neck and was dragging him out of the kitchen. Breathing hard, Yamaguchi touched the side of his neck that Kageyama had attacked with his mouth and went beet red. Embarrassed, he stomped over to the living-room and threw himself onto the vacant couch, curling up in a ball. He wanted to disappear. What he hadn’t wanted to happen, happened – he’d been taken as a substitute for Hinata, a second best when the omega wasn’t there. Did Kageyama even know who he had been kissing, or did he just settle for any flesh he could get his hands on? Yamaguchi hated himself for wanting more.

Meanwhile, Tsukki dragged Kageyama to the bathroom and threw him in the bath-tub. Undoubtedly, the alpha would be all bruised up by the end of the night, but right then Tsukki was so angry he didn’t care. Kageyama growled at him from the bath-tub but didn’t dare to move as Tsukki walked over to him briskly, knelt down by the tub and grabbed his throat again. He leaned in very close, till their noses nearly touched, and glared into Kageyama’s glowing blue eyes, ‘’you don’t touch him,’’ he growled out, ‘’ever. He’s not yours.’’

He waited for Kageyama to back down or to growl a challenge. Instead, the raven desperately craned his face upwards, brushing his nose against Tsukki’s, seeking contact. Tsukki sighed softly, his anger going out of him. How could he blame Kageyama for this, when he had acted exactly like that a few months back – he’d just gotten a grip on himself faster. Tsukki loosened his grip on Kageyama’s neck and eventually slid it up to cradle the back of his head, simultaneously checking for injuries. He pulled Kageyama closer, resting their foreheads together. Then he pulled back, ‘’stay here. Cool off,’’ he murmured and turned on the water. It cascaded onto Kageyama, making him flinch. Tsukki adjusted the heat and then left Kageyama in the bathroom, eyes glowing, clothes soaked. He locked it for good measure.

Tsukki found Yamaguchi curled up into a tiny ball on the couch and slid in behind him. He touched his hip tentatively, ran his thumb along the length of his hip-bone, ‘’you alright?’’ Yamaguchi mumbled something into the pillow he was clutching to his chest, ‘’hey,’’ Tsukki’s voice was gentle as he pulled himself up flush against Yamaguchi’s back and wrapped an arm around his waist, ‘’it’s alright. Did you get scared?’’

‘’A bit,’’ came Yamaguchi’s tentative, muffled reply as he ducked further into the pillow, ‘’but...not fully. I got...a bit...’’ Yamaguchi choked on his words.

‘’Aroused?’’ Tsukki’s voice was calm, ‘’that’s fine. It happens.’’

‘’Um...’’ the tips of Yamaguchi’s ears turned red, ‘’could you...go? I’m still not...fully...’’ Tsukki realised what he was saying as Yamaguchi curled his knees up higher into his chest. And then, knowing precisely what he was doing, he slid the hand that was on Yamaguchi’s stomach between his legs, and cupped his hardening. Yamaguchi jerked in his arms in surprise. Tsukki gave him an experimental rub through his jeans. Yamaguchi’s hand shot out and grabbed Tsukki’s wrist, ‘’don’t-‘’ his voice was choked again.

A strangled cry escaped his lips when his pillow was ripped away from him and then he was being flipped onto his back. Yamaguchi managed to press both his hands over his face, hiding himself, as Tsukki hovered above him. Gently, Tsukki pried them away from his face. His eyes were glassy and his voice trembled as he spoke, ‘’I’m not Hinata.’’

Tsukki leaned in, so close that when he spoke their lips brushed, ‘’are my eyes glowing?’’ he asked in the softest of voices.

‘’N-no,’’ Yamaguchi whispered.

‘’I know what I’m doing. I know what I want,’’ Tsukki cupped Yamaguchi’s face with both his hands but Yamaguchi shook his head.

‘’You’re just pent up-‘’

‘’Don’t,’’ Tsukki whispered, ‘’I’ve been pent up many times around all of you but I’ve not tried to have sex with you. Well, mostly,’’ he said, remembering the unfortunate first time with Hinata. But Yamaguchi wasn’t having it. He tilted his head to the side, away from Tsukki, and squeezed his eyes shut. And Tsukki gave up. He’d had enough of Yamaguchi thinking he wasn’t good enough. He’d had enough of him thinking he wasn’t loved. It was time to lay it all out. Tsukki gave a soft sigh and leaned down to brush the tip of his nose just below Yamaguchi’s ear, ‘’you know...the reason why I was so mad when we first found out we’re mates was because I had already known who I wanted to be mated with. I already knew you were the one. And I was so...angry that I’d have to share you. But I accepted it quicker then Kageyama because I figured that as long as I had you, I didn’t care who else I got tied together with.’’

It worked.

Yamaguchi very slowly tilted his head back, till they were nose-to-nose again, ‘’what are you saying?’’ he whispered shakily.

‘’I love you,’’ Tsukki said easily and gave one of his non-sarcastic smiles, ‘’but you already know that, don’t you? I’ve loved you for longer than I knew what having a mate meant. You’ve been the most important person in my life till now. And you will be. Forever.’’

Yamaguchi’s eyes were still open wide with surprise when Tsukki leaned down and slotted their lips together. It was as natural as breathing, different to the alcohol-induced kisses he’d exchanged with a very drunk Yamaguchi. This was soft and slow and sure, at least on Tsukki’s part. Yamaguchi lay limp underneath him, shocked. Tsukki pulled away quickly enough and gazed down at his best friend. It was rare for him to open up and Yamaguchi was soaking it in like a sponge, ‘’I love you,’’ he said again, voice hoarse.

And this time it was Yamaguchi who brought his hands up to Tsukki’s face, pulled him back down and kissed him. They both melted into each other and they would have not been able to pull apart, not even if an entire TV crew showed up at their house and hovered a microphone above their heads. Without pulling away, Yamaguchi slipped his hands under Tsukki’s t-shirt. They finally parted, for Tsukki to yank his t-shirt off quickly and strip Yamaguchi off his jumper. As soon as the jumper was off, Tsukki’s hands slid over Yamaguchi’s body, down his soft curves and hard, barely visible muscles, the slopes of his shoulders and his back. He took his time taking off Yamaguchi’s jeans and underwear. He’d waited so long for this; he wasn’t planning on rushing it.

Once they were both fully naked, Tsukki took hold of Yamaguchi’s member again and stroked it gently. Yamaguchi went rigid under him and then sighed and melted back onto the couch. He didn’t care about being embarrassed anymore. He was spread out under Tsukki, hands digging into the couch above his head, lips plump and parted, stomach rising and falling with his erratic breathing, like Tsukki’s personal feast. And Tsukki felt like a starving man. He didn’t stop stroking Yamaguchi as he bent over him and ravished his neck with kisses and gently bites. Yamaguchi stopped gripping at the couch and instead wrapped his arms around Tsukki’s neck.

And as much as Tsukki wanted to take it slow, suddenly he couldn’t wait. He pushed Yamaguchi’s legs apart and slid in between them neatly. His heavy, hard erection rested against Yamaguchi’s which had been abandoned for the time being, leaking like a faucet. Their lips met again, briefly, ‘’I’ll stop if you want,’’ Tsukki whispered between chaste kisses.

‘’Don’t want...’’ Yamaguchi’s eyes were glazed over, no longer with tears but with lust. Tsukki gave him another smile and slowly circled his entrance with a finger, slickened with the precum of Yamaguchi’s erection. Tsukki barely remembered preparing Yamaguchi. He concentrated on his face, his blushing cheeks and closed eyes, his parted mouth and long eyelashes. Right before he felt like he’d go insane, Tsukki moved into Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi hissed and gripped his arms.

‘’To fast?’’ Tsukki was panting now, too. Yamaguchi nodded, ‘’sorry,’’ Tsukki hated feeling out of control but he couldn’t help his eagerness. He pressed a kiss to Yamaguchi’s sweaty forehead and went slower. Once he was fully sheathed inside him and Yamaguchi was gasping and panting under him, Tsukki had control over himself again. He trailed lazy kisses down Yamaguchi’s chest, waiting for him to adjust. Only once Yamaguchi relaxed did Tsukki move.

And it was the best thing Tsukki ever felt.

He kept his eyes on Yamaguchi’s face, draining in his reactions and expressions as he thrust senselessly into him, looking away only long enough to kiss him. Yamaguchi was a quiet moaner and Tsukki cherished every sound he let slip from his mouth. Mostly he bit down on his lip, or on Tsukki’s. Suddenly, Yamaguchi gripped Tsukki’s arms, fingers digging in, ‘’I’m...I’m going to...’’ he panted out.

‘’Not yet,’’ Tsukki gripped Yamaguchi’s erection to stop him from coming; that earned him a moan from his mate.

‘’Please,’’ he whimpered.

‘’Just a little longer,’’ Tsukki didn’t want it to end. He wanted to be in that state of pleasure, with the person he loved, forever. But he felt the pleasure building up in him, too, and eventually let go of Yamaguchi’s erection, ‘’I...don’t have a...’’ Tsukki could barely concentrate on his words. He’d forgotten to put a condom on.

‘’Don’t care,’’ Yamaguchi threw his legs over Tsukki’s waist, keeping him in place as he came inside him, groaning with that wolfish edge, the groan disappearing into a sweet string of whispered ‘I love you’s’. He gripped Yamaguchi’s waist and Yamaguchi came, too, all over his stomach. His legs slipped from around Tsukki’s waist, limp, but he managed to wrap his arms around Tsukki, bringing him down on top of him. He was heavy, but it felt good. They caught their breaths together.

And when Yamaguchi tried to move, Tsukki raised his head sharply. His eyes were shining golden and he growled at Yamaguchi, almost like an order to stay down. He grabbed a blanket, discarded by Kageyama the night before, from the corner of the couch and threw it over them. Yamaguchi had no choice but to lay down, although he didn’t particularly mind. Tsukki put the blankets over their naked bodies and wrapped his arms around Yamaguchi, tangling their legs together. He pressed a sweet kiss to his freckled shoulder before settling down.

They dozed off.

*~*~*  


Tsukki woke up first, maybe two hours later. It was dark outside. He was back to normal. Carefully, Tsukki untangled himself from the sleeping Yamaguchi and went into the kitchen. He almost groaned at the mess he and Kageyama had made but diligently set about cleaning the kitchen. Only when it was once more presentable, he stood in front of the crack in the wall where Kageyama had slammed his head with hands on his hips, and wondered what to do with it. And that’s when he remembered one key thing.

Kageyama was still locked in the bathroom.

Tsukki’s eyes widened and suddenly he was sprinting through the living room. He reached the bathroom and fumbled with the lock, slamming the doors open.

Kageyama sat where Tsukki had left him, soaking wet and shivering violently under the stream of now-freezing water that still poured atop him. Guilt hit him like a punch and he scrambled to turn the water off, ‘’idiot! What the hell, get out of the shower, you-‘’ he froze when Kageyama looked up at him. He was back to normal, his eyes their ordinary, pretty blue, ‘’I fucked up again,’’ he whispered, voice cracking and his eyes filled with tears.

Tsukki fell to his knees in front of the bathtub and took Kageyama’s face in his hands, kissing his forehead in a series of quick, frantic kisses, ‘’you didn’t. You didn’t,’’ he said heatedly, ‘’I’m sorry I hurt you and...fuck, I shouldn’t have locked you in here.’’

‘’Is Yamaguchi okay?’’ Kageyama asked in a small voice.

‘’He’s fine,’’ Tsukki assured, brushing Kageyama’s wet hair out of his eyes, ‘’shit, you’re shaking so much...’’ Tsukki stood and peeled off his t-shirt, which he had put on before cleaning the kitchen. He helped a quivering Kageyama out of the bath tub and took off his completely soaked t-shirt, tossing it back into the bathtub. He yanked off his jeans and only hesitated at his underwear. Since Kageyama was near catatonic with cold, Tsukki finally pulled those off, too, trying not to stare at his junk. He grabbed a towel and patted Kageyama down diligently before slipping his own t-shirt over his head. It was a bit big on him, but not like a tent, like it was on Hinata. Unable to stop himself anymore, he wrapped Kageyama in his arms and kissed the top of his wet hair, ‘’I’m sorry.’’

This time Kageyama responded, wrapping his arms around Tsukki’s waist and burying his face in his chest. He was vulnerable and he needed someone to take care of him; Tsukki was more than happy to do that. He pried himself away and took Kageyama’s hand, leading him out of the bathroom and up the stairs to the bedroom, ‘’get in bed,’’ he ordered gently and Kageyama obediently slipped under the covers. Tsukki joined him, wiggling in under one comforter with him and wrapping his arms around him. Once more, Kageyama snuggled into his shoulder. Tsukki stroked slow, wide circles against his back, trying to warm and comfort him at the same time.

‘’I’m sorry,’’ Kageyama whimpered once more.

‘’Not your fault,’’ Tsukki said gruffly, gathering Kageyama even closer to him.

And, once more, they both fell asleep. Somewhere in the middle, Yamaguchi slipped into the room, grabbed his uniform and went to work.

*~*~*  


Kageyama woke up feeling the whole bed shift. His eyes snapped open when the scent hit him, muted and delicate, but still delicious enough to make his member react. The scent roused Tsukki, too.

Hinata was crawling into the bed, bundled in layers of jumpers. He wiggled his way in between the two alphas. Kageyama’s eyes flared blue, ‘’Shoyo...’’ he whispered, his eyes glowing gently – not completely, but enough to have some of his alpha take over. As soon as Hinata lay down, Kageyama feverishly touched his face and slid his hands up and down his arms, ‘’Shoyo. Shoyo,’’ he kept whispering.

‘’I’m back. Hey,’’ Hinata gave a weak smile and coughed in his fist. Kageyama’s hand shot to his forehead to check his temperature. In the dark of the room, his glowing eyes were the only source of light.

‘’Hey, shrimp,’’ Tsukki whispered sleepily, tilting Hinata’s face his way to kiss his temple.

‘’Tsukki,’’ Hinata mumbled, patting around for his hand under the covers. Having found it, he wrapped it around his own waist, ‘’I’m sick,’’ he mumbled sadly.

‘’Aw, poor you,’’ Tsukki said with sleepy sarcasm, though his alpha instincts had kicked in due to the scent of Hinata’s fading heat and he pulled him closer, ‘’want tea?’’

‘’No. I just want you,’’ he wrapped his arms around Kageyama’s waist and the alpha hugged him back readily, ‘’both of you.’’

Kageyama stroked his fiery hair and kept dropping kisses on top of it. Finally, the glow began receding and he calmed down. Once his eyes were back to normal he finally spoke, ‘’what time is it?’’

‘’Late. Near morning. I couldn’t get better without you guys, so my parents drove me home. Don’t-‘’ he said suddenly, grabbing Kageyama’s arm before he could withdraw it from around him, ‘’hold me.’’

Kageyama frowned, ‘’I don’t want your germs, stupid.’’

‘’I’ll rub them all over you if you don’t hug me,’’ Hinata said menacingly, as if that was even possible. But Kageyama looked truly frightened so he quickly returned to his previous position, letting Hinata snuggle into him. Tsukki chuckled softly, shuffling closer, too. As always, Hinata had a child’s body heat, and paired with his fever he was a downright heater.

‘’How bad are you feeling?’’

‘’I’m getting better. Took my meds,’’ Hinata assured.

Just then, the doors opened and Yamaguchi walked in. His eyes lit up when Hinata sat up in bed, ‘’you’re back!’’

Hinata extended his arms to the beta needily, ‘’come sleep.’’

 ‘’Shower first.’’

‘’No,’’ Hinata said stubbornly, ‘’just come.’’ Yamaguchi sighed affectionately but quickly stripped off his clothes, brushing glitter off his face. He’d shower in the morning; for now, he approached the bed. Tsukki shifted, so he was lying on his back, and patted the space beside him mutely. Yamaguchi flushed, remembering their activities, and shyly crawled under the covers. Tsukki put an arm around him as soon as he was settled down, hugging him close. Hinata rolled onto his other side and practically pulled himself up on Tsukki. He reached out to hug Yamaguchi and the beta gave him a kiss, ‘’missed you.’’

‘’I missed you, too. Sorry I didn’t call you.’’

‘’It’s okay,’’ Hinata gave him one more kiss before settling down atop Tsukki, ‘’oi, Tobio. Hug me.’’

Kageyama groaned pointedly but shuffled closer, draping an arm around Hinata’s waist. Tsukki put his other arm around Kageyama. With Hinata practically on top of him, it was possible for him to hold all his mates close, ‘’this is weirdly chummy,’’ Kageyama complained.

‘’Shut up and go to sleep,’’ Hinata smiled into Tsukki’s chest.

As Hinata and Kageyama settled down, Yamaguchi propped himself up. He leaned up, till his lips brushed against Tsukki’s ear, ‘’I love you, too,’’ he whispered quietly. As he withdrew, Tsukki leaned up and snatched a quick kiss. Yamaguchi was smiling, too, as he settled back down against Tsukki’s chest.


	25. Until They Drink the Wine and They Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I haven't updated in a while and since it's Valentines day, here's a 'special' - sorry it's so short!  
> Also, whoo- I can't believe I finally caught up with the timeline in the story (as in, now it's the 14th of Feb & in the story its the 14th of Feb...anyway, enjoy!)

‘’Happy Valentine’s Day!’’ Hinata bounced onto Yamaguchi, who was wiping the counter after making cookies, as soon as he stepped inside the house. The two alphas shuffled in after him, unwrapping their scarves.

‘’Happy Valentine’s Day,’’ Yamaguchi caught Hinata with his free arm as the omega wrapped his legs around Yamaguchi’s waist. They shared a quick kiss.

‘’Is that cookies I smell?’’ Hinata asked, grinning.

‘’Maybe~’’ Yamaguchi nuzzled his nose against Hinata’s briefly and then set him down, ‘’how was school?’’ his question was directed at all three of them.

‘’Good. Tsukki blocked all Kageyama’s dumps at practice,’’ Hinata answered for them, ‘’and I had to yell at some first years for missing practice yesterday.’’

‘’You call that yelling?’’ Tsukki snorted, unbuttoning his long jacket, ‘’it was more like a mouse squeaking.’’

Hinata stuck his tongue out at Tsukki. Kageyama remained quiet, though that wasn’t uncharacteristic for him. It hadn’t even been two weeks since he’d fought with Tsukki and kissed down Yamaguchi’s neck and, although everyone understood and no one chastised him for it, Kageyama was still awkward around them. Which was why Yamaguchi went straight for Kageyama and reached up to gently brush his black fringe out of his eyes, ‘’let’s go on a date,’’ he said cheerfully.

Kageyama glanced at him, ‘’a date?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Yamaguchi dropped his hand to rest against Kageyama’s chest lightly, ‘’it’s Valentine’s Day after all. We could go have dinner at some nice place,’’ Yamaguchi brushed his thumb against Kageyama’s chest, ‘’and then just drive around. We haven’t been on a date yet.’’

‘’Hey!’’ Hinata protested, ‘’I wanna go on a date, too!’’

Yamaguchi chuckled and glanced at his mate with loving eyes, ‘’let’s all go. The four of us.’’

No one protested.

*~*~*

The dinner had been so...easy.

They’d gone out, the four of them, before they became mates – to the cinema or to some fast food joint after practice or even just to play volleyball in the park. They’d never been to a fancy restaurant before, though, and Yamaguchi had dipped into their savings to treat his mates to a nice dinner. And it had been easy. The talking, the way they were around each other. Natural. Even Kageyama relaxed, and talk and teased Hinata, and didn’t jerk away when Hinata locked his ankle around his under the table. When they piled into Hinata’s van after the dinner, they had no intention of driving home – not for a long while.

‘’Ta-da!’’ Yamaguchi produced a bottle of wine he had hidden under the seats proudly, ‘’to finish the night off.’’

Hinata pouted at Yamaguchi in the mirror, hands on the steering wheel, ‘’no fair! I want to drink too!’’

‘’Too bad,’’ Tsukki said with a smirk, taking the bottle from Yamaguchi, next to whom he was sitting at the back, his long legs barely fitting. They seemed much more cosy with each other to both Kageyama and Hinata, but neither had brought up that they had confessed to each other yet – or that they had sex. Tsukki popped the bottle open and took the first swig.

‘’I’m bad with alcohol,’’ Kageyama said weakly, remembering their eventful game of truth or dare.

‘’You’re bad with vodka and beer,’’ Yamaguchi protested, taking a swig after Tsukki and passing Kageyama the bottle. Uncertainly, the raven drank some.

‘’Where are you driving us, Hinata?’’ Yamaguchi asked, leaning slightly on Tsukki.

‘’The beach.’’

‘’That’s an hour away!’’ Yamaguchi protested, ‘’and it’s already late. _And_ it’s a school night.’’

‘’Relax,’’ Tsukki took Yamaguchi’s hand and laced their fingers together on his lap; in the darkness, neither Hinata nor Kageyama noticed, ‘’it’s Valentines. Let’s go to the beach.’’

‘’Gosh, since when have you become so wild, Tsukki?’’ Hinata teased.

Tsukki didn’t even feel like flipping his mate off and after a moment, Hinata turned on the radio. They listened to music and drank the wine they passed around and just enjoyed each other’s presence in silence. After only an hour, as Hinata pulled up on the beach, the wine was gone and Yamaguchi was chuckling softly against Tsukki’s arm, where he had laid his head. Nobody felt like coming out of the car into the freezing night so Hinata simply parked the van on the beach and listened to the soft sound of the waves crashing on the sand.  Hinata killed the radio and started talking, about something of little importance – he just wanted to talk to his mates. And for hours, they did just that – they talked and talked and talk. It came to them as easily as breathing.

‘’We should probably drive back now,’’ Kageyama said, well after midnight.

‘’Nah,’’ Hinata decided, ‘’we’re sleeping here.’’

Kageyama gave him a look but Yamaguchi draped himself over the back seats to rummage in the boot, ‘’I come prepared!’’ he proclaimed, pulling out two blankets and tossing one to Hinata.

‘’We’ll run out of gas with the heating on,’’ Kageyama said, although he was already getting comfortable in the passenger seat.

‘’There’s a gas station nearby,’’ Tsukki said, ending the discussion, as he lay himself across the seats, adjusting seat belts so they wouldn’t dig into him. He had to twist around and get into quite a strange position to actually manage to fit his long body on the seats. Yamaguchi slid in between his legs and lay down atop of him, still giggling, a little bit tipsy, head pressed against Tsukki’s heart. Tsukki threw the blanket over them and settle down with a quick kiss to Yamaguchi’s temple.

‘’Do you...want the blanket?’’ Hinata asked uncertainly.

‘’Nah, I’m fine,’’ Kageyama said, tucking his hands under his armpits and closing his eyes, ‘’you have it.’’

‘’Tell me if you’re cold,’’ Hinata said, unconvinced, and rolled himself up on the blanket, curling into a ball in the driver’s seat.

After a while, they all fell asleep.

Kageyama woke up when something dug into his lap. He groaned through his sleep, irritated, as Hinata slid into his lap, ‘’sorry,’’ he whispered, tucking the blanket around them both; Kageyama had to admit that, paired with Hinata’s  body heat, was much nicer than just dozing off in the seat, ‘’I couldn’t sleep.’’

‘’Dumbass,’’ Kageyama said mildly, sleepily.

‘’Hug me?’’

‘’Mmmh,’’ Kageyama murmured in a tone that suggested he had no choice anyway. He wrapped his arms around Hinata as the smaller boy settled in his lap, his compact body fitting there easily.

Too easily.

The four of them...they were accepting being mates so easily.


	26. Give Her Love and She Will Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!!

Kageyama blinked, and blinked again.

He could tell his alpha had taken over. He felt like he always did when he became himself again – a little disoriented, confused as to where he was. He sniffed the air. It had a pleasant tinge to it – Hinata was in heat, just barely. March had just started. But if Hinata had only just started his heat, Kageyama should have been able to control himself – why had his alpha taken over? He blinked again, clearing the haze that meant his eyes were glowing completely. He was standing in the middle of the living room. Why?

Someone whimpered from the couch.

Kageyama looked towards it.

And froze.

Hinata was curled in the middle of the couch, shaking, badly. His clothes clung off him in strips and in places there were gouges in his skin in longs stripes, like someone had literally tore his clothes off his back without caring about his wellbeing. His wrists and throat were covered in bruises in the shape of fingertips. Kageyama realised he was shaking because he was crying, his sobs quiet and broken. Kageyama saw red. Someone had hurt his mate, someone had... ‘’Shoyo?’’ he asked, as gently as he could. Hinata’s body jerked away from Kageyama so violently Kageyama thought someone had hit him. Hinata sobbed harder, ‘’Shoyo,’’ Kageyama said again, quieter, taking a step towards the couch and reaching out with one hand.

His fingertips were matted with blood.

No.

 _No_.

‘’Shoyo?’’ Kageyama whispered, voice cracking. His hands began shaking.

‘’Please...’’ came Hinata’s tiny, broken voice, ‘’no more...’’

.

.

.

.

.

Kageyama woke up with a gasp loud enough to jerk Tsukki out of sleep next to him. Kageyama was drenched in sweat, the image of Hinata’s curled, broken body flashing behind his eyes over and over. He couldn’t catch his breath, couldn’t remember how to breathe properly. And the room...god, the room smelt so sweet, so pleasant, like it had in the dream. The scent of Hinata’s upcoming heat curled around him like a tendril of smoke and Kageyama jumped out of bed, chest rising and falling with his erratic breathing.

Tsukki sat up quickly, ‘’Kageyama?’’

Kageyama’s eyes concentrated on Hinata, asleep and perfectly fine, held close by Yamaguchi. And still the image of what Kageyama had done to him in that dream would not go. Kageyama crashed out of the room, thundered down the stairs and into the living room. When he saw the couch, he fell against the wall, as far away as he could get from it. He wanted to close his eyes but he couldn’t - he could see Hinata on that couch, all battered and bruised. His head spun as he gasped for breath over and over again.

Suddenly the view of the couch was covered by a dishevelled, glass-less Tsukki, who grabbed Kageyama’s wrist and yanked him out of the living room. The next thing Kageyama knew, he was out in the freezing cold night in just his pyjamas, barefoot, with Tsukki still holding his hand, ‘’breathe,’’ he instructed in a calm voice, ‘’you’re having a panic attack.’’ Kageyama tried to take a deep breath, and found it much easier to do outside, the cold air making him breathe slower. His knees gave out and he slid to the ground. Tsukki knelt by him, letting go of his wrist to cradle his face, ‘’that’s it,’’ Tsukki murmured, leaning their foreheads together, ‘’you’re doing good.’’ In a normal circumstance it probably wasn’t a great idea to touch someone having a panic attack; and yet the firm, gentle but commanding voice of an alpha helped get rid of the image of Hinata from Kageyama’s head. Kageyama stared into Tsukki’s hazel eyes as he caught his breath and his body finally relaxed. And then the tears came.

Kageyama threw his arms around Tsukki’s neck and hid his face there. Tsukki gathered him to his chest, sitting more comfortably on the freezing ground in front of the house. They were both shivering but Tsukki didn’t say anything as he held Kageyama close to him, stroking his back as Kageyama let the tears drip down his face silently. For a long while they just sat there, tangled up in each other. Finally, Tsukki spoke, ‘’did you have a nightmare?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Kageyama’s voice was shaking, wet with tears, ‘’I hurt him. And I didn’t even realise I did,’’ his voice was barely more than a breath, full of guilt and shame.

‘’It’s just a dream, Kageyama,’’ Tsukki assured, running a hand along the length of Kageyama’s spine, knowing exactly what the other alpha was talking about, ‘’you didn’t actually hurt him.’’

‘’But what if I do?’’ Kageyama whispered brokenly, ‘’I’ve nearly hurt him before. What if one day...I really do. I couldn’t live with myself...if he hated me...’’

‘’He could never hate you,’’ Tsukki’s voice was level and assuring, ‘’just like you could never hurt him.’’

‘’But what if I do?’’

‘’You won’t.’’

‘’But what if-‘’

‘’Kageyama,’’ Tsukki pulled Kageyama back by his shoulders and slid his hands over his cold face, staring deep into his eyes, ‘’you couldn’t hurt Hinata. It’s not in your nature. Sure, we both have gotten a bit violent with him before, but you couldn’t actually hurt him. And if you ever try, though I don’t think you will, then I’ll stop you, alright? So you have nothing to be afraid of.’’

Kageyama swallowed but finally nodded, eyelashes glistening with the last of his tears. And then, very slowly, Kageyama reached out with one hand and brushed his fingers over Tsukki’s cheek before cupping it, ‘’you’re amazing, you know that?’’ he whispered.

Tsukki snorted, cheeks colouring slightly, ‘’never thought I’d hear the king say that.’’

‘’Don’t,’’ Kageyama murmured, ‘’I’m serious.’’

‘’Yeah. You always are,’’ Tsukki said in a soft voice, caressing Kageyama’s face. And then, very slowly, he leaned forward and brushed their lips together. It was just one, slow brush of mouth against mouth before Kageyama jerked back, ‘’sorry,’’ Tsukki said automatically, dropping his hands. Kageyama’s hand remained on Tsukki’s cheek, though, as he looked at him, surprised. Then he shifted, and leaned forward. Tsukki tilted his head away, ‘’if you’re doing this because you think you owe me something-‘’

‘’I’m not,’’ Kageyama whispered, tilting Tsukki’s head back in his direction and kissing him. His lips were uncertain on Tsukki’s, experimental but soft. Tsukki took control of the kiss, wrapping his arms around Kageyama, wanting to keep him as close as possible. They stopped shivering, warmed by the gentle heat of the kiss. Tsukki slid his tongue against Kageyama’s lower lip and then easily in past his defences, kissing him deep and slow. They parted eventually, staying close enough to steal quick pecks from each once in a while. Finally Tsukki unwrapped his arms from around Kageyama and ran his hands down his arms.

‘’Shit, you’re freezing. We should go inside.’’

But Kageyama flinched and shook his head, ‘’not yet. I...’’

Tsukki glanced around and his eyes fell on Yamaguchi’s mini, ‘’I have an idea.’’

*~*~*

Hinata and Yamaguchi had been more than a little surprise when they woke up at six am and found their alphas gone. Confused, they didn’t go back to sleep. Their phones were on the bedside table but somehow the two didn’t feel worried. They could usually tell if something was wrong with their mates. So Hinata got dressed for school and Yamaguchi made breakfast. As they sat down at the kitchen table, the doors opened and Kageyama and Tsukki walked in...in their PJs.

‘’I don’t want to know,’’ Yamaguchi dug into his scrambled eggs, ‘’I _really_ don’t want to know.’’

Kageyama put the keys to Yamaguchi’s mini back on the windowsill, ‘’Tsukki was teaching me how to drive. I’m gonna do my licence.’’

‘’That’s great, Kageyama!’’ Yamaguchi perked up.

Hinata stared at him, ‘’you mean you guys were driving around for the whole night?’’

Kageyama dropped his eyes when Hinata addressed him. Tsukki gave him a worried look but Kageyama looked back up quickly and walked over to where Hinata sat, brushing back his hair and kissing his forehead. Hinata perked up, ‘’whoa, I don’t get that every day!’’ he kicked his legs excitedly under the table, ‘’another!’’

Kageyama relented, pressing another kiss to Hinata’s forehead. Then he frowned and wiped butter off his cheek, ‘’quit tunnelling through your bread like a mole. Eat properly.’’ Hinata continued munching through the centre.

Yamaguchi smiled fondly at his mates, ‘’don’t I get a kiss?’’ Kageyama walked over, a little embarrassed, but kissed Yamaguchi’s forehead too. Yamaguchi grinned up at him, ‘’come eat.’’

As Kageyama went to fetch the plates, Tsukki walked round the table, ruffling Hinata’s hair as he went, and sat down in the chair next to Yamaguchi, leaning over to kiss his cheek, ‘’morning.’’

‘’Morning,’’ Yamaguchi beamed at him, ‘’you’ve got shadows under your eyes. Do you plan on going to school like that?’’

Tsukki looked up in time to catch Kageyama’s eye and they grinned at each other, ‘’sure.’’


	27. I Know This Place, It Smells Like Innocece Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for all the support, your reviews are hilarious and uplifting - you guys are acc amazing. 
> 
> Btw is anyone else getting snowed in? London is recieving a lovely gift in the form of Russian snow right now and hopefully school will be closed tomorrow ;p One of the schools round my ends closed cause they couldn't get the e3 up a hill...why can't my school be up a hill? ;-; Anyway, if school is off I'll try and update my two original works - check them out if you haven't yet ;)

Tsukki rapped his fingers on his desk, trying to concentrate on the numbers the teacher was writing on the board. He was an alright student, planning to go to university and everything, but he was agitated. He wasn’t stupid; he knew he was in rut. Hinata was probably going to get his heat soon, since it was the beginning of March. Tsukki tried not to concentrate on that, but he was getting excited just thinking that fuck, yes, finally it was his turn. He was just worried he’d lose his shit and go all eye-glowy on Hinata again, ‘’Tsukishima. _Tsukishima._ ’’

Tsukki blinked at the teacher, who had stopped writing. Tsukki had spaced out and hadn’t realised someone had come in to deliver a post-it message to the teacher, ‘’yes?’’ he asked, composing himself.

The teacher waves the post-it, ‘’they want you in the medical room. Your omega is in heat.’’

No one sniggered or laughed; there wasn’t much of a reaction, really. It wasn’t unusual to have at least one alpha or beta called out each day in class because their mates were in heat and Tsukki tried to keep his four-way situation as low key as possible. He nodded at the teacher, swiped all his books into his bag and tossed it over his shoulder, leaving the class. He walked fast, trying to slow the thundering of his heart as he made his way to the medical room. He could smell Hinata’s heat as soon as he entered the corridor on the lower levels of the school building, a faint, pleasant ribbon snaking round to the med room. Tsukki sped up and practically slammed his way into the room. The nurse glanced up from where she was typing something on the computer. Hinata sat on one of the bed, curled in on himself, looking miserable. He glanced up at Tsukki with glazed over eyes, ‘’Tsukki,’’ he whined.

‘’Yeah, I’m here,’’ Tsukki assured, going to his mate. He was glad to find that he was in control as he knelt in front of Hinata, ‘’how do you feel?’’ he asked quietly.

‘’Took my suppressants,’’ Hinata mumbled quietly, ‘’feel like shit,’’ he glanced at Tsukki, who was peering at him closely, ‘’you smell good,’’ he offered in a mumbly voice, hopeful, a bit pouty.

Tsukki smiled at his tone, ‘’yeah. You do, too,’’ he reached out to brush Hinata’s ginger hair out of his eyes, ‘’want me to get Kageyama? We can go home.’’

Hinata shook his head, ‘’Tobio was going to do the one-on-one training with the second years today. He was really excited.’’

Tsukki nodded, ‘’got it. We don’t have to tell him about this, though he probably knows already,’’ Tsukki stood and glanced at the nurse, ‘’thanks for the help,’’ he reached out a hand for his mate, ‘’come on, let’s get going.’’

Hinata slid his hand into Tsukki’s gratefully, thanking the nurse, and hurried out after his alpha.

They drove in silence with Hinata curled up on his seat, trying to hide his erection which popped up since he didn’t have simulation-suppressants. Tsukki drove carefully, reaching out to stroke Hinata’s knee once in a while. It did nothing to help the erection go down, but it calmed Hinata. Tsukki, thankfully, didn’t seem to notice. When they reached the house, Tsukki got out of Hinata’s van first, slamming the doors shut. Hinata steeled himself, head spinning a little despite the meds, and stepped out. As soon as his feet hit the pavement, his knees buckled and he fell forward. Tsukki was there in a flash, catching him and lifting him up. Hinata wrapped his legs around Tsukki’s hips and his arms around his neck, like a koala, ‘’I’m sorry,’’ he mumbled into Tsukki’s pale hair. As an omega, he wasn’t really supposed to be mobile during his heat. His whole body wanted to either have sex or sleep – he had little strength, especially since he hadn’t wanked off yet like he would have usually.

‘’Don’t be,’’ Tsukki put one arm around Hinata’s waist to keep him up and locked the van with the other. He didn’t bother trying to dig out house keys, instead putting both arms around Hinata, who was like a limp noodle against him by this point, and carrying him towards the house. He knocked with his foot and a moment later Yamaguchi appeared, in an apron, looking surprised, the smell of cookies wafting from the kitchen in a cloud, ‘’hey,’’ Tsukki said casually.

Yamaguchi’s eyes bulged out, ‘’Shoyo, did you get your heat?’’ he gasped.

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata mumbled miserably against Tsukki’s shoulder. Yamaguchi smiled sympathetically and rubbed Hinata’s back briefly before stepping back to let the two in and closing the doors behind them, ‘’kiss?’’ Hinata asked hopefully over Tsukki’s shoulder when the blond turned.

‘’Of course,’’ Yamaguchi pressed a lingering kiss to his lips and brushed back his hair, ‘’took your meds?’’

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’How do you feel?’’

‘’I have a raging boner,’’ Hinata half-pouted.

Yamaguchi chuckled but he saw the tips of Tsukki’s ears go red, ‘’Tsukki, maybe you should take him upstairs?’’ he suggested gently.

‘’Ah. Yeah,’’ Tsukki did a 180 and pressed a quick kiss to Yamaguchi’s lips. He hesitated, ‘’make sure Kageyama is alright when he gets here? You know, with his rut and everything.’’

‘’I will,’’ Yamaguchi promised, kissing him once more.

Tsukki gave him a brief smile, a proper one, before walking out of the kitchen with Hinata still clinging to him. Getting both upstairs was a challenge but Tsukki managed. Hinata was beginning to feel like a dead weight about the time he finally pushed the doors of the bedroom open. He kicked it close and with the last of his strength carried Hinata to the bed. He dumped himself into a sitting position with Hinata sliding into his lap. He exhaled, relieved, and kicked his shoes off over the edge of the bed, ‘’sorry,’’ Hinata mumbled again.

Tsukki ran a hand down his back while simultaneously scowling, ‘’quit apologising. I’m _supposed_ to take care of you.’’

‘’Yeah, but maybe you don’t want to,’’ Hinata kept clinging to Tsukki’s neck, face hidden in his shoulder as if he was avoiding facing his alpha.

‘’And maybe I do?’’ Tsukki’s voice turned gentler. Hinata held on tighter. Tsukki smiled to himself, ‘’are you going to look at me at all?’’

‘’No,’’ Hinata whispered, ‘’it’s embarrassing.’’

‘’You know,’’ Tsukki said casually, running his hand up and down Hinata’s back in comforting motions, ‘’I’ve had sex with Yamaguchi. And I’ve made out with Kageyama. So, really, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.’’

It worked. Hinata pushed himself away enough to stare at Tsukki in shock, ‘’why am I last?’’ he demanded.

Tsukki laughed and Hinata went bright red. Tsukki brushed his hair out of his eyes fondly, ‘’you tell me,’’ he half-chuckled.

Hinata huffed, shifting. Tsukki nearly growled at the friction of his ass on his growing erection. Hinata was still flushed adorably as he peered at the alpha from under his lashes, ‘’aren’t you affected by my smell?’’ he himself felt the growing desperation for his mate in his stomach that he could only ignore for so long.

‘’Course I am,’’ Tsukki said seriously, ‘’but I’m controlling it,’’ Hinata smelled impossibly good and Tsukki wanted nothing more than to sink his nose into Hinata’s neck, inhale his scent, and then bite him.

Ah.

The mating bite.

It was required of alphas and omegas, at some point. Betas, as with most things, escaped the loop. The bite had been important historically, when claiming omegas who had been treated pretty shit back in the 1800s and all. Nowadays it was simply required by the government eventually to ensure there were no feuds over omegas between alphas. Tsukki hadn’t even brought it up with Hinata yet, and he would keep it like that, for now. They had to take baby steps in their relationship.

‘’Kay,’’ Hinata’s voice was a breath, almost too quiet to hear properly.

Tsukki reached out thoughtfully, brushing a curled finger against Hinata’s cheek, tracing it down his neck till he reached the collar of his coat. He undid the zipper slowly, taking his time though he was pretty desperate for his omega at this point. He took the coat off a very quiet Hinata, trying to calm down his obvious nerves. Casually he undid the lace of his shoes and popped them off, too, followed by his shoes, sliding his fingers against Hinata’s ankles in a caress. Then he stopped, letting Hinata make the next move. Letting him choose what he wanted to do next; _if_ he wanted to do anything. Tsukki let the unspoken option of switching out with Yamaguchi hang in-between them.

Finally, Hinata reached for Tsukki and undid his coat too, helping him wiggle out of it. He kept his eyes down, chewing his lips, and as soon as the coat was off, Tsukki put his hands on Hinata’s hips and stroked his thumbs over his school jacket, ‘’we don’t have to do anything.’’

‘’I promised you.’’

‘’That’s bullshit. You don’t have to promise me anything, just cause I’m your alpha,’’ he sighed, ‘’Hinata,’’ Tsukki kept his voice quiet, ‘’look at me.’’ Hinata did, finally, ‘’what’s up? What’s wrong?’’

‘’I...I don’t know...’’ Hinata looked down again, guiltily, ‘’I just...I don’t know why I feel...’’

‘’Feel what?’’

Hinata looked back up at him, ‘’scared.’’

Tsukki flinched and now he looked guilty, ‘’it’s probably cause...at the beginning, Kageyama and I...’’ he sighed again, shook his head and made to shift Hinata off his hips, ‘’I’ll get Yamaguchi.’’

‘’No!’’ Hinata’s hands shot out, lightning fast, to cup Tsukki’s face, ‘’no,’’ he repeated, softer, ‘’I’m not scared of _you_ , Tsukki. I’m just...scared you’ll lose control. Subconsciously.’’

‘’I wouldn’t hurt you,’’ Tsukki promised.

Hinata caressed his face, ‘’I know. That’s why...I want to try and do it. No matter what,’’ he shifted closer, ‘’cause I want you, even if I’m a little scared of your instincts. And I don’t want you just cause you’re my alpha, either.’’

For a while, neither said anything. They just stared at each other. Finally, Tsukki took one of Hinata’s hands from his cheek and pressed it below his throat, to the top button of his jacket, ‘’you take control, then,’’ he said calmly.

Hinata wet his lips nervously but undid Tsukki’s top button, and then the next and the next. Tsukki shuffled out of the jacket and let Hinata tug up the t-shirt underneath. Once Tsukki was naked from the waist up, Hinata undid his own jacket with nervous, slightly trembling fingers. He kept glancing at Tsukki to see if his eyes started glowing but they remained a calm hazel, and slowly Hinata’s nerves settled. He wiggled out of his hoodie and pulled down his pants. Once just in his boxers, he fought to remain calm. He slid open the silver button on Tsukki’s trousers and helped him shuffle out of those, too. Then he returned to his lap. Now that they were mostly naked, Hinata could feel Tsukki’s hardening under him. His omega instincts finally flared and he leaned forward, sliding his hands against Tsukki’s face again. He had already had sex with Yamaguchi countless times, though usually under the covers. This was no different, he told himself.

Two inches away from Tsukki’s face Hinata realised that they had never kissed before. He hesitated but Tsukki nudged his nose against the omega’s encouragingly, ‘’go on,’’ he whispered.

So Hinata closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to Tsukki’s. The soft heat that had been building up in Hinata’s stomach suddenly took solid shape and Hinata gasped against Tsukki’s lips as he was suddenly overwhelmed by the need to be touched by his alpha. Tsukki groaned against his mouth as Hinata rolled his hips, grounding his ass into Tsukki’s erection. The first taste of his mate set Hinata on fire and he pressed their lips harder together, one hand sliding up Tsukki’s neck. Hinata felt his erratic pulse at his fingertips. Tsukki tilted his head, deepening the kiss, and Hinata mewled as Tsukki’s tongue tangled with his. Hinata’s free hand, resting on Tsukki’s chest, curled, scratching the skin there lightly. Tsukki leaned forward, pressing Hinata against him, his hands on the small of his back. Hinata didn’t even know when or how they got rid of their underwear, taken over by the need to touch Tsukki as much as possible.

He only realised what was going on when a lubed-up finger circled his entrance. If Hinata hadn’t been in heat, he would have blushed and stuttered through one of the first intimate touches he had received from Tsukki. Instead, with eyes glazed-over with lust and lips parted, Hinata raised his hips to give Tsukki better access, keeping their eyes locked together as they exchanged short, soft kisses every once in a while. Hinata exhaled against Tsukki’s lips as the first finger slid in easily. As he worked his finger inside Hinata, Tsukki kissed him in a series of extremely short kisses, catching Hinata’s lower lip in his for a second and pulling away before Hinata could properly taste him. Denying himself the pleasure of melting into the feel of Hinata was a way of controlling his alpha instincts. But, god, Hinata tasted, smelled and _felt_ amazing. The thought of being able to just have him for two or three days, all to himself, made Tsukki eagerly slip in a second finger. It went in with a little more resistance, but not much, and pretty soon he had Hinata moaning softly into his shoulder.

‘’Tsukki...’’ he whispered in a breathy voice, ‘’please...’’

Tsukki was more than happy to withdraw his fingers, and as he did so, Hinata came, suddenly, with a quiet cry. Tsukki blinked, surprised, but also kind of...pleased? He dropped his hands, forced them to stay still by his sides as Hinata caught his breath and eventually took control, sliding a hand down Tsukki’s member, making a shiver go down his spine, before positioning it at his entrance. Hinata slid down, inch by inch. He wasn’t in pain, thanks to being used to stretching with Yamaguchi, even though Tsukki was considerably bigger. The stretch felt uncomfortable, and Hinata bit his lip, but it wasn’t bad and his omega instincts were urging him on. Tsukki’s eyes fluttered shut and he exhaled shakily, hands gripping Hinata’s hips. He fought against his instincts, which were trying to take control more than ever. He didn’t want his eyes to glow, didn’t want to scare Hinata, but it was near impossible as he was slowly enveloped in Hinata’s heat, his smell closing around him like a cocoon. His instincts screamed at him.

_Mate. Protect. Hold. Protect. Mate. Omega. Heat. Hold. Protect. Mate. Mate. Mate._

_How fucking primal,_ Tsukki thought, trying to grasp onto his irritation to ground himself, but it was gone as soon as Hinata gasped and sheathed Tsukki full within him. Tsukki felt himself losing to his wolf, ‘’shit,’’ he breathed.

And then Hinata kissed him and Tsukki was winning again. He cradled Hinata’s face, smiled into the kiss. Already, Hinata was hopelessly grinding his hips down onto the length inside him, ‘’calm down,’’ Tsukki murmured, shifting Hinata on his lap so it was easier for him to move. He finally opened his eyes, confident that they weren’t glowing, and offered Hinata a calming glance before gripping his hips and moving him himself.

Hinata gasped and threw his head back at the sudden sensation as Tsukki thrust up into him. Tsukki’s hot mouth closed around a collarbone, kissing a hickey there. Hinata fisted a hand in his blond hair, the other digging into Tsukki’s shoulder as he moaned. Tsukki swore again, ‘’more of that,’’ he requested in a low voice. It wasn’t as if Hinata could control it but, much to Tsukki’s pleasure, more moans spilled out. Tsukki held Hinata closer to him, rolling his hips, ‘’feels good?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ they were both panting; Hinata clung to his alpha, ‘’go faster,’’ he mewled.

Tsukki gladly did. Even though Hinata had just come, he did so again, all over his stomach. Tsukki didn’t slow, not feeling even a sliver of fatigue as he flipped them over, pinning his mate under him on the bed and continuing to thrust into him. Sensitive, Hinata shuddered under him, and more of those delicious moans spilled out. Pretty soon, both of them were coming again. Both of them were hard in a matter of seconds, and they went again, without even catching their breaths.

As they both neared their climax, Hinata clung harder to Tsukki, pressing his lips just below Tsukki’s ear, ‘’Kei,’’ he whispered.

Tsukki didn’t remember what happened after because at the sound of his name on his mate’s lips, his eyes flared gold and his instincts took over.

Tsukki only regained control when he was lying down next to Hinata, who was rolled away from him. They were both catching their breaths. Slowly, Tsukki rolled over to face Hinata’s back and stroked a knuckle shyly against his mate’s back, ‘’Hina?’’ he asked gently, ‘’did I hurt you?’’ Hinata shook his head. His ears were bright red, ‘’I’m sorry about the...eye thing,’’ he hesitated, unsure of what to do. He withdrew his hand, ‘’want me to get Yamaguchi?’’

Hinata made an irritated noise at the back of his throat and rolled over quickly. Everything that had just happened must have caught up with him because his face was as red as his hair but he wrapped his arms around Tsukki’s waist nonetheless, ‘’stop saying that,’’ he demanded.

Tsukki hesitated before sinking his hand into Hinata’s hair, ‘’I thought I frightened you.’’

‘’You didn’t. I barely noticed,’’ Hinata promised, pulling back enough to glance up at his alpha, ‘’I’m just...embarrassed...that’s all...’’

Tsukki offered him an uncharacteristically soft smile, ‘’why are you embarrassed?’’

Hinata flushed harder, ‘’w-well, we used to really hate each other...’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Tsukki snorted, ‘’but that was ages ago.’’

‘’Yeah, but still,’’ Hinata shrugged, ‘’I just...’’ he reached up, almost in awe, to cup Tsukki’s cheek, ‘’I never thought we’d do something like this,’’ he leaned forward to brush his lips together, ‘’I’m glad we did, though,’’ he offered softly, hand sliding down his neck and chest, fingers brushing against the faint stretch marks on his hips where he had grown too fast before eventually wrapping around his waist.

Tsukki smiled into the kiss, deepening it, before pulling away, ‘’need a quick nap?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata settled against Tsukki and closed his eyes.

They were out like a light.

*~*~*

 

Kageyama was taking the situation...pretty well.

For him.

He was curled up on the couch, sulking. He raised his head every time a quiet, muffled moan tumbled downstairs but at least his eyes didn’t glow. He was agitated and annoyed, Yamaguchi could tell, so he fed him a steady diet of freshly baked cookies and gentle touches as he went about his chores in the house. Eventually, a couple hours after Tsukki and Hinata locked themselves in the bedroom, Yamaguchi came into the living room from the kitchen to find Kageyama with his knees drawn up to his chest and his forehead resting against them, as if he was hiding from the world. Cautiously, Yamaguchi crawled onto the square couch, touching Kageyama’s knee, ‘’are you alright?’’

Kageyama made a non committal noise.

‘’Do you have a boner?’’

Kageyama peeked at Yamaguchi from above his arms, ‘’you don’t have to say it,’’ he grumbled.

Yamaguchi watched him for a moment and then shuffled closer, ‘’you know,’’ he said gently, ‘’I’m here, too. If you need me.’’

Kageyama nodded, ‘’yeah, I know. I’m here if you need anything, too.’’

Yamaguchi chuckled at his simplicity, ‘’what I meant,’’ he slid his hand under the barricade of Kageyama’s arms, to press against his bulge, ‘’is that there’s four of us for a reason.’’

Kageyama went bright red, ‘’o-oh...’’

‘’Come on. I’m sick and tired of seeing you pent up,’’ Yamaguchi said matter-of-factly, refusing the atmosphere to go intimate. Not yet. Not until he made sure Kageyama would not make up some pretext to cover up his desires. He brushed a finger against the button of Kageyama’s trousers, ‘’let me help?’’ he asked innocently.

Kageyama peeked at him from under dark lashes, ‘’if you want,’’ he relented finally, trying hard not to show how much he craved touch, especially with all the stimulation from upstairs.

Yamaguchi undid Kageyama’s button and helped him wiggle out of his jeans to his thighs. When Yamaguchi glanced at his face, Kageyama was staring down at the proceedings with confused horror. Yamaguchi chuckled again, ‘’relax,’’ he said, ‘’it’s not open heart surgery.’’

Kageyama wet his lips nervously, ‘’I know...’’

Yamaguchi tugged down his underwear and Kageyama glanced away, embarrassed. Yamaguchi refrained from commenting on Kageyama’s pretty impressive size and instead took him into his hand, feeling the hardness against his palm. As soon as Yamaguchi’s freckled fingers closed around Kageyama’s length, the setter groaned low in his throat. Yamaguchi tried not to think about what it all meant, about whether it meant anything at all or if he was just a warm, convenient hand for Kageyama, as he began steadily pumping. Kageyama’s eyes fluttered shut and he grunted, his breathing speeding up. Yamaguchi shuffled closer, for better purchase. They were so close their foreheads bumped. And then, out of nowhere, Kageyama’s hand was at Yamaguchi’s chin, tilting his head, and they were kissing. Soft, sloppy as Kageyama’s entire body relaxed and shuddered under Yamaguchi’s administrations. But, shit, they were kissing. And it was so fucking good.

Yamaguchi’s hand stilled in surprise. Kageyama pulled away briefly, ‘’don’t stop,’’ he requested and kissed Yamaguchi again. The former Captain moved his hand up and down Kageyama’s length again, cupping his face with his free hand, as if to make sure the boy didn’t pull away. Kageyama didn’t seem to have any inclination to, kissing Yamaguchi slow and deep as the freckled boy slowly brought him closer to the edge. The only indication that Kageyama came was the sudden inhale and the harder press of his lips against Yamaguchi’s, almost desperate. Then the hot liquid splattering on Yamaguchi’s hand. Yamaguchi stroked his mate through his orgasm, till Kageyama finally sagged against him.

‘’Thanks.’’ He would likely be hard within minutes, considering his rut, but Yamaguchi found that he wouldn’t mind getting Kageyama off as many times as he needed. He was looking forward to it, actually. He made to get up, to clean his hand, but Kageyama gathered Yamaguchi to him, ‘’stay a bit,’’ he requested sleepily. Releasing after being pent up all day had spent him, for the time being.

Yamaguchi rested his head just below Kageyama’s chin, ‘’kay,’’ he murmured as Kageyama adjusted them more comfortably. He kissed Yamaguchi’s forehead in thanks.

*~*~*

For three days, Tsukki and Hinata fucked.

Well, they talked, too, in-between the sessions when they weren’t taking a nap. And ate whatever Yamaguchi brought them, which included his glorious cookies. Hinata found Tsukki to be a completely different lover to Yamaguchi. The beta was usually slow and soft and satisfying, full of gentle touches and loving caresses. Tsukki proved he could be a beast in bed. And, being an alpha with biological needs to satisfy his omega, he did not get tired like Yamaguchi did. Any time Hinata felt like going at it, he simply woke up or nudged Tsukki, who was hard in seconds. The three days passed in a blissful, happy rush.

But Hinata still felt like something was missing.


	28. I Got a Homesick Heart But a Long Way to Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm so sorry, I was so busy with my original works I forgot to update for nearly a month. I hope y'all are doing great & I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for your continuous support :*

‘’Tadashi!’’ Yamaguchi’s mom threw her arms wide when her son crossed the thresh-hold and gathered him into a hug, ‘’I’m so glad you came!’’

‘’Hi, mom,’’ Yamaguchi grinned into his mother’s shoulder.

She released him and beamed at Tsukki, ‘’Kei~ Did you get taller again?’’ she asked as Tsukki bent down to give her a quick hug.

‘’I haven’t grown in three years, Ms Yamaguchi,’’ he shook his head, amused.

‘’Oh, and these must be Hinata and Kageyama,’’ Yamaguchi mom said excitedly. The duo had never been to Yamaguchi’s house, since during high school they usually hanged out in Tsukki’s or Kageyama’s houses, ‘’hello, sweetie. You’re a cutie, aren’t ya?’’ she squeezed Hinata warmly to her plump body and Hinata instantly liked her. Not even Kageyama escaped her embrace, ‘’oh, and you’re handsome, too!’’

It was late March. Not much had changed between the four of them. Their relationship seemed to come to a...stand still. Or, rather, there was suspense in the air. Because Hinata and Kageyama still treated each other strictly as friends, and that seemed to be a ticking bomb. And because Kageyama had not intitated anything else with Tsukki or Yamaguchi, past that kiss in the middle of the night and those hand jobs during Hinata’s heat. Tsukki secretly hoped that maybe coming over to Yamaguchi’s house for Easter would be a catalyst for something, though he had no idea what. And if not, then Hinata’s upcoming heat in April could finally trigger Kageyama into action, even though Hinata planned to spend it with Yamaguchi. Tsukki worried that if the three of them fell into a pattern with Hinata’s heats, then Kageyama would never come out of his shell.

‘’Come, come,’’ Yamaguchi’s mother led the four of them to the living room, where a table had been set up with food, everything from cake to lamb to pastries. Yamaguchi’s father, a reserved man in a pressed shirt, greeted his son and then his mates with a handshake. He seemed comfortable enough around Tsukki but he barely acknowledged the other two. His wife swatted his shoulder, ‘’really, be more polite,’’ she gave Kageyama and Hinata a conspiratory look, ‘’my husband isn’t big on this four-way thing.’’

‘’Dad,’’ Yamaguchi said accusingly as he and his mates dug into their food in uncomfortable silence.

Mr Yamaguchi put his hands at level with his shoulders, ‘’hey, I’m just saying...’’

‘’It’s not like we can help it, dad,’’ Yamaguchi said in a clipped tone.

Maybe he just didn’t understand. As far as Hinata knew, Yamaguchi’s parents were not mates. While most people found theirs somewhere during their school career, Yamaguchi’s mother had been home-schooled and his father travelled around with his businessmen fathers, so their possibility of meeting their mate was limited. Now that he had his mates, Hinata wondered how muted being with someone else would be, ‘’I know,’’ Yamaguchi’s father said defensively, ‘’I just...well, wouldn’t you rather be with just one person?’’

‘’No,’’ Hinata, Tsukki and Yamaguchi chorused. Kageyama just gave the man a glare from under his thick lashes.

Yamaguchi’s father looked taken-aback, ‘’w-well, I just thought it’d be a bit more _normal_...’’

‘’Honestly, if you’re going to be like this, then we’ll just leave,’’ Hinata had never hear Yamaguchi sound so...cold. He hooked his ankle around Yamaguchi’s under the table and his mate relaxed a fracture.

‘’Nonsense,’’ his mother said quickly, ‘’he’s just being dramatic. Please, eat,’’ the doorbell rang, thankfully, ‘’oh, there’s the family! They were meant to be late...’’ the rest of her sentence was intangible as she disappeared into the hallway and seconds later merry voices were heard. The tension dissolved as family and friends arrived and sat around the table, chattering with Yamaguchi and his mates so that there was no time for Yamaguchi’s father to put in any more comments. The extended family – cousins, aunts and grandparents – as well as friends and neighbours had not been informed about the predicament, which the four were still trying to keep low-key, for fear of mindsets that had presented themselves at the table. The newly arrived guests simply thought that Yamaguchi was mated with Tsukki, and Kageyama with Hinata.

The rest of the day went without incident. The family did a group-trip to the church and those who weren’t religious, including Yamaguchi and his mates, went to the nearby park and played a hectic, chaotic, fun game of volleyball. Hinata and Kageyama were split up to give both teams fair chances and Yamaguchi’s grandmother turned out to be quite a good spiker.

The sun had long since set, and after a long game of monopoly with Yamaguchi’s cousins, the four mates found themselves crammed into Yamaguchi’s old bedroom for lack of any more space in the house now occupied by extended family.

Tsukki dug out his boxers from his backpack, ‘’I’m gonna take a shower,’’ he declared. He was as comfortable in Yamaguchi’s house as he was in his own.

Yamaguchi skipped over to him and slid his hands over his hips, pressing their bodies together and tilting his head up. Tsukki brushed his nose over his affectionately, ‘’shall we save water~?’’

‘’Mmmh, I love being environmentally conscious,’’ Tsukki murmured with a grin. Since that time on the couch, he and Yamaguchi had been at it as much as Yamaguchi and Hinata were. They had broken the barrier of being best friends that had never allowed them to think of each other as more, and now they touched each other as often as possible. Now they left the room together.

Hinata dumped himself on Yamaguchi’s old bed, shockingly small compared to the massive bed they were now used to. He sighed. A moment later, Kageyama lay down next to him. With both of them on the bed, it was a pretty tight fit; there was a futon laid out on the floor, too, and they’d have to split into twos for the night. For a good ten minutes, they just lay there, mulling over what happened through the day. Hinata’s heart skipped a beat when he felt Kageyama’s pinkie brush against the knuckle of his hand shyly, ‘’you okay?’’ Kageyama asked, ‘’after...’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata assured, shifting his hand so he could shyly hook a finger around Kageyama’s. He expected the setter to pull back, but he didn’t. They stared at the ceiling, ‘’I just...I guess we’ve been lucky that we haven’t had anyone say anything like that to us before. That we’re not,’’ he swallowed. It was harder to get the word out than Hinata expected, ‘’...normal.’’

‘’We are normal,’’ Kageyama said softly, ‘’if this is what nature intended, then how can we not be? I guess this was a wake-up call. That there will be people who think those things.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata mumbled, ‘’I hope Yamaguchi’s okay. It was his dad after all.’’ Kageyama hummed his agreement. Hinata rolled over onto his side, resting his cheek on Kageyama’s shoulder, and looked up at him, their fingers still intertwined, ‘’are _you_ okay?’’ he whispered.

Kageyama tilted his head to look at Hinata and their noses brushed, ‘’sure,’’ he whispered back. Kageyama brushed his nose against Hinata’s again, repeatedly, giving him an Eskimo kiss; Hinata giggled, and Kageyama smiled at the sound. And then they just...leaned closer. And their lips brushed. It could have been almost accidental, except Kageyama brushed his lips against Hinata’s again, soft, slow. Hinata exhaled shakily into the kiss, his hand coming up as if to cup Kageyama’s cheek. He hesitated, resting only his fingertips below his cheekbones, as if he didn’t want Kageyama to stop but was scared of making any sudden moves in case Kageyama snapped out of it. Before he could worry further, however, Kageyama kissed him again, harder now, and Hinata’s hand slid against his cheek fully, bringing him closer. At the first shy brush of tongue against his bottom lip, Hinata parted his lips. He sighed into Kageyama’s mouth as the boy slid their tongues together, kissing his mate slow and deep. In the next instance Kageyama shifted to hover half-above Hinata, leaning on his elbow, dark strands of his fringe brushing Hinata’s forehead. Hinata’s hand travelled from Kageyama’s cheek to the back of his head, tangling in black hair, pulling him closer.

They parted for breath briefly, Kageyama nipping at Hinata’s lips even then. Hinata giggled, nervous and embarrassed but so, so happy, and opened his eyes just as Kageyama opened his.

Hinata’s laugh caught in his throat.

Kageyama’s eyes burned gold.

A fearful gasp escaped Hinata’s lips, ‘’Kageyama, your eyes!’’

Kageyama blinked and the gold was replaced by blue. He stared down in shock at the look of fear on Hinata’s face. The same look as in that dream. The same look he imagined Hinata would have if he...if he...

If he tried to do this. Because he’d lose control. And hurt him.

Kageyama jerked back and scrambled off the small bed, ‘’sorry...I’m sorry...I...’’ he was finding it hard to breathe again. Hinata sat up on the bed just as the doors opened and Tsukki walked in with Yamaguchi. Their conversation died down as they took in Kageyama, standing in the middle of the room, flushed and breathing unevenly, and Hinata on the bed, wide eyed and trembling, ‘’what’s going on?’’ Yamaguchi demanded.

Hinata shook his head and dropped his eyes, ‘’n-nothing.’’

Kageyama dived under the futon and pulled the covers all the way up to his nose, blinking back helpless tears. Why did this always happen? Why couldn’t he control himself? For a long moment, no one moved. Then Tsukki silently went to turn the light off and Yamaguchi slid into bed with Hinata. He lay him down gently and gathered him in his arms, pulling covers atop him. Kageyama heard them murmuring to each other quietly before Tsukki slid in behind him in the futon. A moment later his long, slim fingers brushed against his arm under the covers. Tsukki traced a long, slow path down to Kageyama’s hand. He brushed his fingers over the back of it before wrapping an arm around his waist. He leaned over him, brushing his nose under his ear as he whispered, ‘’you did nothing wrong. It happens.’’ He must have guessed why Kageyama was so distraught.

Kageyama whipped around and wrapped his arms tightly around Tsukki’s neck, burying his face in his throat. Tsukki wrapped his arms around Kageyama in return, around his waist and across his back. He massaged the back of his neck gently in comfort, pressing a kiss to Kageyama’s hair, ‘’sleep,’’ he whispered to his mate. Kageyama just held onto him tighter.


	29. I am Not Afraid, I Won't Burn Out in This Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for not posting in a while. As always, thank you for all your support. You guys are awesome. Enjoy!  
> Ps. please check out the end notes!

 

Author's note - please check the end notes

On the 2nd of April Hinata lay curled up on his bed in the house, arms wrapped around his stomach, trying to deal with his heat. He’d gotten it right after school and he avoided practice, rushing home, taking his pills and nestling on the bed. It was Yamaguchi’s turn to take care of him, in theory – but really, it should have been Kageyama. Just the knowledge that Kageyama didn’t want him hurt more than the cramps that the suppressants were slowly soothing. Yamaguchi was out. He did grocery shopping nearly every day, as four young adults in the house got through a crazy amount of food. The grocery store was close by and Yamaguchi liked the walks. During the day he did the taxes and balanced the budget, cleaned, cooked and saved a small amount of time for relaxation. In the evenings, he worked. Hinata tried to calculate in his head when Yamaguchi might have set out for shopping to figure out when he was coming back. The suppressants did nothing for the painful erection between his legs. Heat spread from Hinata’s stomach up his body and the omega groaned, burying his face in one of the pillows. He was craving his mates – all three, at once, preferably. At that point, Hinata could only dream.

His body relaxed slightly when he heard the doors open and close – Yamaguchi was home. Hinata had no idea how long he’d lain on the bed but he was about ready for one of his mates to pay attention to him. He could practically tell Yamaguchi was pausing in the kitchen and sniffing the air – a moment later Hinata heard thundering footsteps up the stairs and smiled into the pillow. Yamaguchi burst into the room a moment later, ‘’oh, Shoyo, why didn’t you call?’’ he murmured, going over to the bed. He tossed off his flannel and jeans and slid over Hinata’s curled body, rolling him onto his eyes. He smiled at Hinata’s expression – at his glazed over eyes, moist, parted lips and flushed cheeks.

‘’I didn’t want to bother you,’’ Hinata whispered.

‘’Idiot, didn’t we establish that you never bother me?’’ Yamaguchi murmured with a soft smile, nudging his nose against Hinata’s, ‘’took your suppressants?’’

‘’Mmmh,’’ Hinata extended his arms up and wrapped them around Yamaguchi’s neck, bringing him closer and sliding their lips together. Yamaguchi slipped his hands under Hinata’s t-shirt, warming his sides.

‘’You feel okay?’’ he questioned, kissing Hinata’s temple when they parted.

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata mumbled, burying his nose in Yamaguchi’s neck, ‘’hot.’’

Yamaguchi grinned giddily into Hinata’s hair, ‘’you’re hard.’’

He had the feeling Hinata scowled, ‘’so are you,’’ the omega slid his hand into Yamaguchi’s sweatpants and underwear, grabbing his member.

Yamaguchi bit his lip and thrust shyly into Hinata’s hand. Hinata was more than happy to accommodate his mate, and not just because of his omega instincts. He craned his neck back, kissing Yamaguchi’s jaw as his hand began pumping. Pretty quickly his fingers were sticky with Yamaguchi’s precome. Somewhere downstairs, the door opened and slammed shut, ‘the boys are back,’’ Yamaguchi murmured into Hinata’s hair, his voice strained from pleasure.

‘’Let them be,’’ Hinata whispered, speeding up. He arched his body up, pressing up against Yamaguchi’s. Yamaguchi slid his hands up Hinata’s chest under his t-shirt, caressing his skin. With a strangled gasp, he came into the omega’s hand. Hinata grinned up at him, nuzzling their noses together, ‘’your turn.’’

Yamaguchi gave him a grin that screamed ‘helplessly in love’, ‘’gladly,’’ he said, yanking off Hinata’s pants.

*~*~*

Kageyama didn’t dare walk out of the kitchen into the living room. He could smell Hinata’s delicious scent, mingled with Yamaguchi’s. They were upstairs, Kageyama knew that – and because of that this heavy, hot _need_ was building up in him. He didn’t realise he’d been leaning his clenched fists on the kitchen counter and staring at the wall for a good five minutes until Tsukki, who went to put their school bags in the living-room, slid his arms around Kageyama’s waist from behind. Kageyama stiffened but Tsukki didn’t move away. If anything, he scooted closer, pressing his chest to Kageyama’s back. He nudged his nose under Kageyama’s ear, ‘’you want him,’’ he murmured.

Kageyama flinched, ‘’I don’t.’’

‘’Don’t lie,’’ Tsukki said, ‘’you’re in love with him.’’

‘’I’m n-not...’’ Kageyama’s voice cracked.

‘’Yes, you are,’’ Tsukki said firmly, ‘’and that’s fine. Its _fine_ , Kageyama. Why are you so afraid of it, hm?’’

For a moment, Tsukki thought Kageyama wouldn’t reply. But then... ‘’I’m scared I’ll lose control. I’m scared I’ll hurt Shoyo. And Yamaguchi.’’

‘’I’ve already told you that you won’t,’’ Tsukki said in a gentle voice Kageyama wasn’t accustomed to, ‘’I’m here, and Yamaguchi is here, too. We’ll protect each other. But we don’t need to do that when it comes to you, Kageyama. Because you will not hurt any of us, and we will not hurt you.’’

Kageyama licked his lips and leaned back into Tsukki, taking courage from his warmth, ‘’I don’t know...if it’s okay to love him when I...I love...’’ he trailed off. He couldn’t say it, not out loud.

Tsukki twisted him around. Kageyama turned reluctantly and kept his head down. He couldn’t look Tsukki in the eye. His cheeks turned red from embarrassment. And then a gentle finger tilted his head up and he was gazing into Tsukki’s face, ‘’it is okay,’’ Tsukki said, so confidently Kageyama wanted to believe him. How could he be so sure in such a situation? ‘’it’s alright to love both of them. You won’t be able to choose one or the other, so don’t try, okay?’’

Kageyama gazed up at him. He hadn’t talked about how he felt yet – he hadn’t even admitted to himself how he felt. But Tsukki...Tsukki had a talent for dragging things out of him. Kageyama reached out, feeling more sure in Tsukki’s arms, and brushed his fingers over his cheek, ‘’you, too...’’ he whispered, tilting his head slightly up to brush his lips against Tsukki’s, ‘’not just them...but you, too...’’ it was clumsy and unsure, but it was the best he could do right then. Tsukki kissed him harder, understanding what he was trying to say.

They pulled apart and Tsukki bumped his forehead against Kageyama’s, ‘’go take care of Hinata, dumbass.’’

‘’But Yamaguchi...’’

‘’I will gladly take care of Yamaguchi,’’ Tsukki assured with a grin, giving Kageyama another quick kiss.

Kageyama glanced one last time at Tsukki, not a deep breath and walked into the living-room.

*~*~*

Yamaguchi had just finished round one with Hinata. He was propped up on his elbows above him, sweaty and satisfied, gazing down at his mate and pressing occasional kisses to his lips. Hinata ran his fingertips gently up and down Yamaguchi’s chest and arms, a gentle smile playing on his lips. Neither was expecting the doors to open suddenly – and for Kageyama to stand within them. Hinata made a small, embarrassed noise and ducked under Yamaguchi to hide his naked body. Yamaguchi looked at Kageyama, standing uncertainly by the doors, playing with his fingers. He was bright red, staring at his feet. Yamaguchi sat back on his heels, straddling Hinata, ‘’Kageyama,’’ he said with a smile, ‘’what is it?’’

‘’I...’’ Kageyama swallowed and finally met Yamaguchi’s eyes, ‘’I came to switch with you. I-If Shoyo...wants...’’

When Yamaguchi glanced at Hinata he was wide-eyed and blushing. Yamaguchi brushed his fingers over his cheek in a gentle caress, ‘’what do you say?’’ he murmured.

Hinata looked up at Yamaguchi. He looked a little scared and nervous, but also, somehow, really happy. He gave a tiny nod and Yamaguchi smiled, kissing his forehead, ‘’he’ll take care of you,’’ he promised, snatching his underwear from the floor and slipping it on. He tossed the covers over Hinata’s naked body and walked up to the doors. He stopped in front of Kageyama and reached up, cupping his face briefly to brush his thumb over his cheek. Kageyama leaned over to peck Yamaguchi’s lips, surprising him but drawing out a radiant smile at the same time.

Then Yamaguchi walked out of the room, closing the doors down the stairs and jogged down the stairs and into the living-room. Tsukki was sitting on the square couch. Yamaguchi crossed his arms over his naked chest, raised his eyebrow and gave his best friend a cocky grin, ‘’what did _you_ do, hm?’’

‘’Gave him a little pep talk,’’ Tsukki said innocently, his eyes running down Yamaguchi’s body, making him shiver, ‘’you...look a little chilly. Want me to warm you up?’’ he asked casually.

‘’Hmm, tempting~’’ Yamaguchi wandered over and slipped onto the couch. Tsukki took his arm and pulled him onto his lap, wrapping his arms around Yamaguchi’s waist. He pressed a butterfly kiss to his collarbone.

‘’Sorry for dragging you away from Hinata.’’

‘’It’s alright,’’ Yamaguchi murmured softly, sinking his hand into Tsukki’s blond hair, ‘’he needs some alone time with Kageyama.’’

‘’And do you know what you need?’’ Tsukki asked.

‘’What?’’

‘’Some appreciating.’’

Yamaguchi yelped as he was suddenly tossed back onto the couch. Tsukki grabbed his underwear and yanked it off. In the next instance, Yamaguchi gasped as Tsukki’s mouth slid over his member. His eyes fluttered shut and he moaned, one hand fisting in Tsukki’s hair again. He wasn’t used to ‘appreciating’ but he sure as hell enjoyed it.

*~*~*

Hinata sat up in bed as Kageyama loitered by the doors, unsure of what to do with himself. Hinata smelled crazy good but Kageyama was still afraid of what he might do.

‘’You know, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,’’ Hinata grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kageyama snapped out of his uncertainty and approached the bed, ‘’no, I do, I just...haven’t...before...’’ he reached the bed and sat down by Hinata, trying not to think about what was under the covers.

‘’Tobio,’’ Hinata said softly, ‘’do you like me?’’

‘’Course I like you, dumbass.’’

Hinata sighed, ‘’no, I mean...like-like.’’

Kageyama glanced away, the tips of his ears going red, ‘’I-I think I...m-might...’’

Hinata felt irritation rise up in him. He reached out, grabbed Kageyama’s cheeks, squished them together and turned his head towards his so their eyes met, ‘’yes or no, dumbass.’’

‘’Yesh,’’ Kageyama admitted, words slurred from having his cheeks squished.

Kageyama did not expect the exultant, giddy grin that appeared on Hinata’s lips – or the short peck that followed. Hinata released Kageyama’s face, ‘’kay,’’ he said happily, ‘’me, too.’’

‘’Y-yeah?’’ Kageyama asked uncertainly, his heart giving a little excited thump.

‘’Yeah,’’ Hinata said, voice dropping to a lower tone. He reached out, slid his fingers under Kageyama’s tie and pulled. Kageyama got the hint. He scooted closer, letting Hinata’s fingers unbutton his shirt. He felt the desire he always felt for Hinata, that intensified during his heat, rise and in the next instance he pushed Hinata down gently on the bed. Like that, he could see Hinata’s body. It was so...perfect. The muscled stomach and skinny, strong arms, the tanned, lightly freckled skin, the puff of fiery hair above his member, the powerful thighs and legs that allowed Hinata to fly during matches...

And then it happened.

Hinata’s eyes widened, ‘’Tob-‘’

Kageyama’s eyes flared blue and he dived, attacking Hinata’s neck with hot kisses. It wouldn’t have been unpleasant, except Hinata’s mind returned to his first heat, and that same fear closed his throat. And...

‘’No, stop...stop!’’ Hinata struggled against Kageyama, which only made him more persistent, ‘’I don’t want it like this...I want you to remember...I want you to be yourself...’’ he felt his eyes sting at the helplessness of his own strength in comparison to Kageyama’s as the alpha pinned his wrists down, ‘’get off, Tobio... _GET OFF_!’’

Hinata kicked out, getting Kageyama straight in the stomach. The alpha fell back and when he sat up sharply, his eyes were not glowing anymore. Hinata was breathing hard, waiting to see if Kageyama would lose control again. But Kageyama just stared at him in horror, at the marks he left on Hinata’s neck. He stood up sharply and stumbled away from the bed. Hinata’s face crumpled, ‘’no, Tobio, wait...!’’

But Kageyama did not wait. He stumbled out of the room, doing up the buttons of his shirt as he jogged down the stairs. How close had he been to hurting Hinata, like he had in his dream? He could barely think about it without feeling sick. He sprinted through the living-room, where Tsukki and Yamaguchi were tangled up together. He flew into the kitchen, snatched up his jacket and ran from the house.

He ran and ran, blindly, not really thinking where he was going.

He finally ran out of breath in the park. He slid down a tree, feeling like...well, like he’d been kicked in the stomach. Like, a hundred times. He dug out his mobile phone and picked his mother’s contact. He waited for her to pick up, catching his breath. He forced his voice to sound normal when she answered, ‘’hey, mom? Can I stay over for a couple days?’’


	30. We Were Not Born in Sin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who is ALIVE!?  
> (I am!!)  
> Oh my gosh its been forever, I know. I'm so sorry guys, I have a lot on my plate right now but so many of you were asking for the next chapter for so long that I figured it was about time to give you one. Thank you so much for hanging around and being so patient, my darlings. I honestly appreciate it so much. 
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!!

Perhaps it was because Hinata was agitated and upset by Kageyama’s disappearance, but his heat lasted a full three day after that. An excruciating three days. Three days in which Tsukki and Yamaguchi took turns satisfying him but Hinata kept seeing Kageyama in his head. He could barely sleep, though Kageyama had texted Yamaguchi to tell him he was going to his mom’s place. He’d been silent ever since. Sometimes he just randomly burst into tears and whoever was in bed with him would take it upon themselves to cuddle him into silence.

When Hinata woke up on the morning of the fourth day, his heat was gone. It was late, judging by how bright the sun was outside. Maybe eleven or twelve but it wasn’t surprising that once Hinata managed to fall asleep, he was knocked out for twelve hours. Hinata sat up in the empty bed. His ass throbbed but he’d been wiped clean of any sticky residue. He was dressed in one of Tsukki’s t-shirts, the sleeves brushing his elbows. Wincing at the throbbing of his behind, Hinata got out of bed and went in pursuit of his boxers. He pulled out the shelf in the wardrobe and paused. His underwear was neatly folded on one side of the shelf – next to Kageyama’s stack. Feeling his face start to crumple, Hinata snatched up a pair of his boxers and kicked the shelf shut. He pulled the boxers on and emerged from the room.

He could hear Yamaguchi and Tsukki before he cleared the stairs. He frowned. It was Thursday. Tsukki should be at school. Hinata crossed the living room and went into the kitchen, where his mates sat at the table. Yamaguchi cradled a mug of tea between his hands. Tsukki was shirtless, leaning his face on his hand. It seemed that he woke up maybe twenty minutes ago, judging by the bed-head. Yamaguchi woke up when he saw Hinata come in, ‘’hey,’’ he said softly.

Hinata went to greet them but instead, ‘’I want to call Tobio,’’ came out.

Yamaguchi gave him a sad smile, ‘’he’s not picking up our calls.’’

Something tightened in Hinata’s stomach. He was suddenly scared – that Kageyama would never come back... Hinata’s lip wobbled, ‘’I wanna call...’’ he said unevenly.

Tsukki pushed his chair away from the table, ‘’okay, c’mere-‘’ he extended his hand towards Hinata, but the omega backed away, shaking his head.

‘’No...no, you’ll just try to talk me out of it...’’

Tsukki scowled at him, ‘’stupid. I just want you to calm down first.’’ Hinata blinked back terrified, heartbroken tears. He didn’t take Tsukki’s hand. Instead, he surged forward and threw himself into his arms, ‘’whoa...’’ Tsukki said softly, catching him and pulling him up onto his lap. Hinata wrapped both arms around Tsukki’s neck and hid his face into his shoulder, taking deep breaths. Tsukki stroked his hair. Yamaguchi reached out to rub circles against his back until Hinata managed to gulp back tears. He pulled back, rubbing at his eyes just in case.

‘’I want to call him,’’ he whispered.

Yamaguchi uncertainly passed Hinata his phone, which he’d taken out of the bedroom as to not distract the omega, ‘’Shoyo, if he doesn’t pick up...’’

‘’I’m not calling him,’’ Hinata took the phone, unlocked it and quickly scrolled through his contacts. He clicked one and brought the phone to his ear. He put one hand on Tsukki’s shoulder to stabilise himself. There was a click on the other end of the line, ‘’hello? Mrs Kageyama? It’s me, Hinata...’’

‘ _’Hinata!_ ’’ Mrs Kageyama sounded incredibly relieved, ‘ _’thank God! Tobio hasn’t left his room in days. Did something happen...?_ ’’

‘’Kind of. It’s a long story, but he thinks I’m angry at him,’’ Hinata gushed, ‘’but I’m not. I want to tell him that but he won’t pick up our calls. Could I maybe talk to him...?’’ Hinata’s fingers tightened on Tsukki’s shoulder.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then, ‘ _’I’ll tell him it’s the school calling._ ’’

Hinata wanted to thank her but nerves made his throat close up. He waited, gripping the phone. There was some muffled talking and then Hinata gasped as Kageyama’s tired, emotionless voice said, ‘ _’Kageyama Tobio speaking._ ’’

‘’Tobio...’’ Hinata blurted and his voice cracked. He could tell Kageyama stiffened, could hear it in the silence on the other end. And he knew what Kageyama was about to do, ‘’Tobio, don’t disconnect!’’

Kageyama swallowed audibly, ‘’Shoyo...are you okay?’’ he asked in a hoarse whisper.

‘’Course I’m okay!’’ Hinata gushed, ‘’it was a bit of eye-glowing. I just got freaked out, but I’m fine. Please come back now. My heat is over. We can talk...’’ Kageyama didn’t reply. Hinata’s eyes stung again, ‘’Tobio...’’ he whispered, ‘’you left cause you didn’t wanna hurt me, right? Well, you’re hurting me now, so stop being an asshole and just...’’ Hinata didn’t realise he was crying until Yamaguchi leaned over and brushed a tear off his cheek gently. Tsukki wrapped an arm around his waist and held him close as Hinata took a steadying breath. It didn’t help. A sniff still came out.

‘’... _Shoyo, are you crying?_ ’’ Kageyama’s voice was impossibly soft.

‘’No!’’ Hinata protested automatically, sniffing again, ‘’why would I cry over you, dumbass?’’ he mumbled angrily.

‘ _’Please don’t cry,_ ’’ Kageyama’s voice cracked.

‘’Then come back,’’ Hinata knew he’d start sobbing in about five seconds, ‘’please. Just come home...’’ the first of the sobs broke past his lips.

Kageyama inhaled sharply on the other end. And then, ‘’on my way.’’

There was a click as he hung up.

The phone fell on the kitchen table out of Hinata’s hand with a dull rattle. Yamaguchi stood and came to stand by Tsukki. With one arm, Hinata held onto Tsukki’s neck. The other he wrapped around Yamaguchi’s waist and buried his face in his stomach as he sobbed. Yamaguchi  stroked his hair.

And they waited for Kageyama.

*~*~*

Kageyama walked up the driveway to the front door of their house.

He hesitated. He didn’t want to see his mates – he felt ashamed and guilty and scared. But he also really, really didn’t want Hinata to be upset. And so he’d come back, ‘’get it together,’’ he whispered at himself, unlocking the doors with his key. He walked into the kitchen and froze, because all three of his mates were right there, sitting by the kitchen table.

‘’U-um...’’

Before Kageyama could say anything, Hinata stood. His chair fell back with a rattle as his face scrunched up for the _nth_ time that day, ‘’you’re a dumbass,’’ Hinata told him, voice shaking.

‘’Sorry...’’ Kageyama whispered, feeling his heart contract at seeing Hinata so upset.

He didn’t know who moved first – whether he opened his arms or whether Hinata ran for him. But a split second later they were embracing, holding each other so hard it hurt. It must have lasted ages. Eventually, Tsukki came over and brushed a kiss against Kageyama’s temple, ‘’we were worried about you,’’ he murmured with uncharacteristic tenderness. Yamaguchi just put an arm around Kageyama’s waist, stroking his lower back. Hinata smiled into Kageyama’s chest. For the first time in days, he actually felt okay. He untangled himself from Kageyama and extended the embrace to his two other mates. They held each other, stroking backs and kissing foreheads, just glad to be together.

After another age, Hinata took Kageyama’s hand, ‘’come with me,’’ he whispered and Kageyama, confused, followed the omega out of the kitchen, through the living-room and up the stairs to the bedroom. Kageyama went in first and Hinata followed behind him. Once in the bedroom, Hinata closed the doors and leaned on them, his hands behind his back, shy. He glanced at the floor and then up at Kageyama who gave him a questioning look, ‘’Tobio...let’s do it.’’

Kageyama’s eyes shuttered, ‘’what?’’

Hinata sighed. He pushed himself off the doors and walked up to Kageyama. He tucked his hands up to his cheeks and stroked them as he said, very seriously, ‘’have sex with me.’’ He blushed at the words but his eyes remained intense and sure.

Kageyama took a step back, away from the omega, ‘’that’s not a good idea...’’

‘’Why?’’ Hinata didn’t get angry or annoyed or embarrassed. He followed Kageyama, ‘’what’s the worst that could happen? Your eyes will glow a bit. Big deal. Besides, I’m not in heat. You won’t lose control. So...’’ he reached out and took his mate’s hand, ‘’let’s do it, kay?’’ he finished in a small, hopeful voice.

At first he thought Kageyama would say no.

But then the boy’s grip on Hinata’s hand tightened and he pulled him towards the bed. Hinata barely had time to lay down before Kageyama was atop him. He still looked uncertain. Hinata reached up, brushed the back of his hand against Kageyama’s jaw, ‘’you won’t hurt me,’’ he assured softly.

Kageyama bit his lip, and then, ‘’can I kiss you?’’

Hinata’s smile, soft and happy, melted Kageyama, ‘’yeah.’’

And so Kageyama leaned down and their lips met, properly for the first time. It knocked Hinata’s breath away. He gripped the front of Kageyama’s t-shirt, his head spinning. Kageyama’s lips were soft and firm and a little chapped, and they sent shivers down Hinata’s spine. Kageyama smoothed Hinata’s fiery hair back, his hand then travelling down Hinata’s face and neck, down his chest to the hem of Tsukki’s t-shirt. They parted and Kageyama’s eyes were their usual stunning, un-glowing blue. Kageyama tugged off Tsukki’s t-shirt off Hinata.

From then on, it was hard to remember what happened when.

Hinata remembered how, as soon as they were completely undressed, Kageyama pressed their naked bodies together, chest to chest, legs tangled, foreheads touching. He remembered the first brush of Kageyama against him, how it set a fire in the pit of his stomach. He remembered how surprisingly affectionate Kageyama was throughout – there were hot, heavy, panting, open-mouthed kisses, spread everywhere, but there were also gentle, sweet, soft ones. Kageyama’s hands were everywhere, sometimes gripping and grinding and feeling, but sometimes just exploring in caresses. Mostly, Hinata just remembered heat and wave after wave of pleasure and Kageyama’s hoarse voice as he whispered Hinata’s name into the omega’s ear; the sound of his soft groans and pants, the feel of his fingers laced with Hinata’s, the sensation of him inside Hinata, different to Tsukki and different to Yamaguchi...just different. Good. So good. Hinata still didn’t feel that content feeling that he knew he was seeking but, god, it felt close.

They didn’t go once or twice or even three times. After the fifth time, Hinata lost count. It was as if he was in heat except he didn’t sleep.

When they finally finished, it was getting dark.

Their stomachs were rumbling, but neither wanted to leave the bed. Kageyama was sprawled over Hinata, mouth pressing lazy kisses to his collarbone. Hinata was sitting up slightly, stroking Kageyama’s hair, ‘’see,’’ he said, ‘’you didn’t lose control.’’

‘’I’m sorry,’’ was all Kageyama said.

‘’Tobio?’’

Kageyama raised his head and Hinata leaned down to brush their noses together, ‘’yeah?’’

‘’I like you,’’ Hinata murmured, ‘’a lot.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Kageyama pressed a lingering kiss to his lips, ‘’me, too.’’

‘’I love you,’’ Hinata whispered.

Kageyama didn’t look surprised but this delighted, glistening light lit up in his eyes, ‘’yeah,’’ he whispered back, sitting up to pull Hinata under him again. He kissed him, long and slow and deep and when he pulled back, he looked into Hinata’s eyes, ‘’me, too.’’

~end of PART ONE~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know its really short! I KNOW IM SORRYYYYYYY  
> But that was all I had planned for this chapter and it was only like an 'end' chapter to the confession arc thingy. My last exam is tomorrow and then I'll, hopefully, have loads of time to write so don't worry, I won't ditch you for two months again. I'll do my best to deliver the next chapter soon! 
> 
> Love y'all, thank you for always supporting me!! <3


	31. Dear Boy, Have You Seen my Soul?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiya lovies!   
> I'm finally back. Keeping it short & sweet with this chappie, but yays, part 2! Thank you for all the love, as always. 
> 
> Check out my facebook page if you can ;) <3   
> https://www.facebook.com/aj.wilde.355

It happened on a Wednesday; nearly two weeks after Kageyama finally came home and amended his mistakes with Hinata. It had taken some getting used to, being all together again, being...different. Because the situation had shifted. They’d all fallen in love, as impossible as that had seemed seven months prior. Yamaguchi and Hinata were quick to whisper those words to their mates and to each other; Tsukki and Kageyama found it a bit more embarrassing to just say it but all four knew how the others felt. And pretty soon, the vibe at home was full of anticipation. Hinata was made love to by all three outside of his heat – after school with Kageyama, while Tsukki was downstairs working on his laptop; with Yamaguchi in the early hours of the morning on weekends, when he came home after work tired and be-glittered, but with a soft smile and a hand that pulled Hinata down the stairs and onto the couch for a blissful half hours; with Tsukki when they were alone and the blond would, out of nowhere, slip his arms round Hinata from behind. Tsukki went at it with Yamaguchi as often as with Hinata, too.

But then there was Kageyama.

Sometimes, he caught Yamaguchi glancing at him shyly from under his lashes, then averting his gaze when caught and blushing. Or sometimes he felt Tsukki gazing at him with this intense desire that made Kageyama flush and look away. Hinata was pretty aware that Yamaguchi wanted to be touched by Kageyama, and that Tsukki wanted to touch him and it was pretty amusing. And exciting, waiting for it to finally happen. With each day, the four of them grew closer and more comfortable with each other. Hinata had never been as happy as he was when all four of them were together at home; he found himself seeking out Tsukki and Kageyama at school and rushing home from volleyball practice to see Yamaguchi, too. He often woke up a couple times in the night when Yamaguchi was at work, as if his mind was waking him to check if he’d come back.

And then that Wednesday, it all came crashing down.

The four of them were sitting in the living room, curled under a couple of blankets and watching a movie when Kageyama’s phone rang from the kitchen, where he’d left it on the counter. Grumbling, he untangled himself from his mates and slipped out. Hinata immediately missed his warmth. He snuggled into Tsukki. They heard Kageyama’s voice from the kitchen, floating over. And then one of the chairs at the table scraped back loudly, suddenly.

Somehow straight away the three boys on the couch knew something was wrong.

They hurried into the kitchen to find Kageyama, pale and trembling, sitting on one of the chairs at the table. He was staring ahead of him with wide, horrified eyes. Hinata flew to him, ‘’Tobio, what-‘’

Kageyama flinched and the phone clattered out of his hand. Yamaguchi caught it at the last second, in the same moment as Kageyama stood and ran from the room, and up the stairs. The three boys exchanged worried, confused looks. Yamaguchi pressed Kageyama’s phone to his ear, ‘’h-hello?’’

‘’ _Yamaguchi_?’’ Kageyama’s mom’s voice floated to him. It was hoarse and teary, ‘’ _oh, Yamaguchi...’’_

‘’What is it, Mrs Kageyama?’’ Yamaguchi asked urgently.

‘’ _Tobio’s grandma...she passed away._ ’’

Yamaguchi froze. He knew how close Kageyama had been to his grandmother, ‘’I...I’m so sorry...’’ Yamaguchi whispered.

Kageyama’s mom sniffled, ‘’ _he must be at her house tomorrow, for the funeral. Its eight hours away by car...I’ve booked him a bus ticket and if one of you c-could maybe d-drive him to the station..._ ’’

Yamaguchi could tell Kageyama’s mom was about to burst into sobs, so he quickly said, ‘’yes, of course.’’

‘’ _Please take care of him...my poor boy..._ ’’ the woman sniffled and disconnected.

Yamaguchi put the phone slowly on the kitchen table. Hinata grabbed his sleeve, ‘’what? What is it!?’’

Yamaguchi raised sad eyes to Tsukki and then flicked them to Hinata, ‘’Tobio’s grandma has...passed away.’’ Hinata gasped. Tsukki closed his eyes briefly. Yamaguchi chewed his lip, ‘’he’ll have to go to her funeral tomorrow.’’

Hinata’s eyes widened, ‘’wait...he’s leaving!?’’ his voice became tiny, ‘’...again?’’

‘’Just for a couple of days,’’ Yamaguchi assured quickly, pulling his arms around Hinata automatically. He pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

Hinata took a shaky breath, ‘’should we...talk to him...?’’

‘’Its best to give him some time,’’ Yamaguchi murmured.

For a couple minutes, they just stood there, Yamaguchi hugging Hinata, Tsukki looking agitated. Finally, Tsukki snapped, ‘’fuck it. I’m not letting him cry by himself,’’ and left the kitchen.

He climbed up the stairs quickly and knocked on the doors of the bedroom. He didn’t wait for a reply, opening the doors and walking inside. It was dark; the April sun had set. Kageyama lay curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed, his dark hair splayed on the pillow. His shoulders trembled as he silently wept and Tsukki felt his heart tighten. He came over to the bed, pulling the covers from under Kageyama and then pulling them atop his shaking form. He slipped in behind him. He had no idea if Kageyama even wanted comfort in that moment but he didn’t care. He couldn’t just leave him like that. Tsukki wrapped an arm around Kageyama and pulled him backwards, against his chest. He pressed a gentle, sweet kiss to the nape of his neck. Even though Kageyama was the second tallest out of the four of them, he felt so tiny and fragile in Tsukki’s arms in that moment.

As soon as Tsukki wrapped his arms around Kageyama, the shorter boy’s sobs spilled. He sobbed quietly, tears running down his face and all Tsukki could do was lay there, holding him, feeling utterly helpless.

*~*~*

The next morning Kageyama felt like...not Kageyama.

Hinata stood by the doors as Kageyama slipped his shoes on. He had a duffel bag filled with clothes thrown over his shoulder and the sheer size of it terrified Hinata. How long would Kageyama be gone this time? He looked at his mate for any indication but the alpha was blank-faced. His eyes were puffy and there were dark circles under them. He finished putting his shoes on and looked at Tsukki and Hinata. Yamaguchi would be the one driving him to the bus station; the other two were expected to go to school, even though it felt like a chunk was being ripped out of their lives. Hinata knew Kageyama would only be gone a couple of days, but he couldn’t help and be terrified. When he’d ran off last time, Hinata had been so scared, so sad...

‘’Tobio,’’ he whispered weakly, before he could stop himself, ‘’you’ll come back, though, right?’’ it was such a stupid question, and yet Hinata couldn’t help asking.

Kageyama looked at him with blank eyes. Slowly, he nodded.

‘’Okay,’’ Hinata gave him a tight smile, ‘’have a safe trip.’’

Kageyama nodded again. He leaned down, brushed a goodbye kiss against Hinata’s forehead and then one against Tsukki’s cheek. And that was that. Hinata couldn’t blame him. He was still shell-shocked. And yet Hinata’s heart tightened. He wrapped his arms around himself, feeling shaky and cold. He watched Yamaguchi usher Kageyama out of the doors. He glanced over his shoulder, giving both boys a stern look, ‘’go to school,’’ he said and left.

The doors slammed shut and when the echo faded, all that was left was a horribly quiet kitchen.

Hinata put his bag on the floor and unbuttoned his black school jacket, ‘’I’m not going,’’ he mumbled. He hated how addicted he was to his mates, how lost he felt when they weren’t all together.

‘’Hey...’’ Tsukki followed him.

‘’Go to school, Tsukki,’’ Hinata said numbly, ‘’I wanna be alone.’’

‘’Bullshit,’’ Tsukki sounded angry. When Hinata didn’t turn, he grabbed his wrist and whirled him round, ‘’hey,’’ Tsukki grabbed his face, ‘’I’m staying with you. Got that, shrimp?’’

Hinata’s eyes filled with tears. He nodded and buried his face in Tsukki’s chest. Tsukki sighed and hugged him close, ‘’it’s only a couple of days, dumbass.’’

‘’I know,’’ Hinata’s voice was thick with unshed tears, ‘’but why do I feel like...like...’’

‘’I guess that’s normal,’’ Tsukki whispered, voice softening, ‘’I feel like that, too.’’

Hinata hugged him tightly.

*~*~*

‘’Got everything?’’ Yamaguchi asked.

Kageyama nodded. His eyes were scarily empty. He wasn’t looking at his mate.

‘’Have you got a return ticket?’’ Yamaguchi pushed gently and Kageyama shook his head, ‘’well...just...’’ he reached out and cupped Kageyama’s face, ‘’come back to us soon, okay?’’

‘’Yeah...’’ Kageyama whispered, voice hoarse.

‘’We’ll miss you,’’ Yamaguchi murmured, ‘’have a safe trip. Text us when you get there,’’ he kissed Kageyama softly and it took the raven a couple seconds to respond. Yamaguchi pulled back, feeling sadness tug on his heart strings. He hated seeing any of his mates so upset, ‘’love you.’’

‘’Love you, too,’’ Kageyama murmured. He kissed Yamaguchi’s mouth quickly, absently, and then turned and walked within the bus station. Yamaguchi blinked rapidly to keep tears back when he thought of his mate sitting by himself on the bus, miserable and alone. He never wanted any of them to be alone. But there was nothing he could do.

He turned around and walked back towards the parking lot.


	32. Screaming Out Loud, Foolish and Proud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yo yo yo!  
> Sorry for the wait, as always ;-; And thank you so much for your support my darlings xx

Hinata sat at the dinner table, head resting on the wood, arms stretched out into the space in front of him. He looked absolutely miserable. Yamaguchi was alternating between writing down a grocery list on a post it note and glancing at his mate. It had been nearly two weeks since Kageyama left. His parents returned home but the alpha insisted on staying in his grandmother’s house after the funeral, overseeing the clearing of the furniture before the house was sold. His mom had visited the three mates left at home when she got back, saying Kageyama needed time process the death of one of the closest people in his life, and that it might take a while. So Yamaguchi, Hinata and Tsukki accepted it. They called him often – he wanted to listen to their voices but he himself didn’t talk much. When they skyped, he looked horrible – bags under his eyes, dishevelled hair, sad eyes. It broke Yamaguchi’s heart. He was trying to be patient, but Kageyama’s absence was becoming more and more unbearable every day. Tsukki walked around moody all the time and Hinata was wilting like a little flower.

‘’You can call him, you know?’’ Yamaguchi said eventually, unable to stand looking at his mate hurting.

‘’I already called him in the morning,’’ Hinata mumbled, ‘’I don’t want to burden him.’’

Yamaguchi sighed. He didn’t know what he could say to make Hinata feel better. Kageyama needed time; they all knew that. But it felt like walking around with only one leg. Yamaguchi took his grocery list and stuffed it in his back pocket, walking around the kitchen counter and to the table, ‘’hey,’’ he said gently, touching Hinata’s hair, ‘’come grocery shopping with me?’’

Hinata hid his face in the table, ‘’don’t feel like it.’’

‘’Come on, you can’t be upset all day long,’’ Yamaguchi knelt down by the chair and reached up, tilting Hinata’s face his way. He gave him a small, encouraging smile, ‘’we can buy something nice. Cupcakes, or whatever. To cheer you up.’’

‘’Thanks,’’ Hinata sat up straighter, cupping Yamaguchi’s hand against his face, ‘’but I...just...don’t really feel like getting up.’’

Yamaguchi’s brows furrowed in concern, ‘’then let’s play volleyball in the garden,’’ he stroked Hinata’s cheek with his thumb, ‘’I’m getting worried about you. You’ve been really down the last few days.’’

Hinata closed his eyes and leaned into Yamaguchi’s hand, ‘’heat is coming soon. And I’m missing Tobio. A lot. Its not a good mix,’’ he opened his eyes and peeked at the beta, ‘’can we just cuddle on the couch?’’

‘’Yeah, sure,’’ Yamaguchi stood up, took Hinata’s hand and led him over to the living room. They curled up in the corner of the couch, Hinata between Yamaguchi’s legs, face buried in his chest. Yamaguchi stroked his hair.

After a while, Tsukki came back from his jog. He went on jogs often these days, trying to distract himself from Kageyama’s absence. They were all surprised by how impacted they were when they weren’t all together for a longer period of time. Yamaguchi glanced up uncertainly at Tsukki when he came into the living room. These past days he’d been snappy, he didn’t want to eat dinner together and he pretty much avoided his other mates, like he was trying to distance himself from them. He was getting into his own head, afraid to show vulnerability. Typical alpha.

But when he saw Yamaguchi and Hinata curled up on the couch, his eyes softened, ‘’hey,’’ he murmured.

Yamaguchi gave him a small, encouraging smile and patted the couch next to him. With a heavy sigh and slumped shoulders, Tsukki walked over and sat down. He put an arm around Yamaguchi’s shoulders and the other one around Hinata, in the beta’s lap. Yamaguchi snuggled into Tsukki’s side and Hinata unwound one arm from around Yamaguchi’s neck to hug Tsukki, too. It was unmistakable that something was missing, even as they all held each other tightly. It was like during sex, when Hinata had one but wanted all three, except this run so much deeper and hurt so much more.

Tsukki snapped first.

After a couple of minutes, he unwound himself from his mates, grabbed his keys off the windowsill and pronounced, ‘’I’m going to get him.’’

Yamaguchi’s eyes widened, ‘’huh?’’

Hinata stared, ‘’right now?’’

Tsukki nodded, ‘’he’s going to be hurting for a while still. But he’ll hurt less if he’s with us, at home,’’ he turned, ‘’I’m not letting him be all by himself anymore,’’ and he walked briskly into the kitchen.

Hinata jumped up, eyes sparkling with sudden life and vigour, ‘’I’m going too!’’ he ran after Tsukki.

Yamaguchi groaned. They’d have to drive through the night, but... ‘’ah, what the hell,’’ he went round the house, turning off any lights and closing open windows. He got his credit card, ID, keys, grabbed a blanket and followed the others into the minivan, ‘’I’ll drive first,’’ he told his mates, tossing the blanket to Hinata, ‘’you two sleep in the back. I’ll need to switch with someone in a couple hours.’’

And so they drove out, just like that.

Yamaguchi put on the radio, very quietly. Tsukki bundled his jacket up and used it as a pillow. He sat with his back against the doors, long legs stretched out on the seats, and Hinata crawled on top of him, resting his head on Tsukki’s chest. Tsukki put the blanket over them. For a while, they didn’t fall asleep. They were quiet, thoughtful. Hinata pressed kisses to Tsukki’s collarbones every once in a while. Tsukki played with Hinata’s hair, rubbing the strands between his fingers, his other hand resting against Hinata’s back, a soft, comforting gesture. Hinata dozed off first and Tsukki soon after as Yamaguchi drove down the mostly empty high way.

Tsukki stirred a couple hours before sun-up. The car was stopped and Yamaguchi was slowly taking off his glasses, ‘’sorry,’’ he said, ‘’didn’t mean to wake you,’’ he took Tsukki’s glasses all the way off. The blond yawned. Thought everything was blurry without his glasses, he saw Hinata in the driver’s seat, munching a sandwich. There was a bag filled with food on the passenger’s seat, but Tsukki didn’t feel like eating, especially when Yamaguchi closed the back doors and crawled into Hinata’s spot atop Tsukki. The alpha wrapped his arms around Yamaguchi, throwing the blanket over him.

‘’Wake me when you need to switch,’’ he told Hinata softly, closing his eyes. Sleep came fast. Even though he had like six cramps, he was warm, and he had his mate in his arms, his nose buried in Yamaguchi’s hair, inhaling his calming scent.

He slept well.

He was awoken mid-morning, when Hinata stopped at a gas station. They bought disposable toothbrushes and brushed their teeth in the gas station bathroom. They got coffee and ate the food they bought the night before, Hinata sitting on the mask of the minivan, Yamaguchi and Tsukki on either side of him. For the first time in over a week, they talked properly. Missing Kageyama had sapped them all, as if they were grieving. The knowledge that they’d see him soon gave them back their strength and energy.

After, Tsukki took a wheel. Yamaguchi and Hinata didn’t sleep. They sat up and cuddle in the back seat. Seeing them in the mirror warmed Tsukki’s heart.

They rode on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Check out my facebook page if you can! It would mean so much xx There's some fanart and short stories and updates and stuff, so... I'd be super grateful!
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/virusAJWilde/


	33. If We Don't Leave This Town We Might Never Make it Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas has come early! Two chapters in the span of one week, instead of one for every two months? Damn! xD 
> 
> Nah, but seriously, I hope y'all enjoy! Thank you so much for supporting me! 
> 
> If you want more content and art and stuff, check out my facebook page! If you don't have facebook, just let me know and I'll give you an email to my you-know-what!
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/virusAJWilde/

Seeing Kageyama again gave Tsukki, Yamaguchi and Hinata a boost of energy, even after a rough night in the car. Kageyama was standing outside in the uncertain April sun and he looked like hell. His hair was dishevelled and there were dark shadows under his blue eyes. He wore an oversized throw-on over his t-shirt and he had his arms tucked around himself as he walked aimlessly around the garden. He didn’t notice the mini-van pull up before his grandmother’s country estate as it got lost in the array of moving vans parked randomly around the house. Kageyama seemed to be overseeing the last of the furniture being loaded up into the vans, floating around like a ghost.

‘’Let’s go get him,’’ Tsukki said resolutely, getting out of the car. Hinata killed the engine. The three of them piled out onto the lush, dew-damp grass and made their way towards the picket fence.

Only when they went through it did Kageyama’s muted senses pick up their scents. He turned, a frown gracing his brow. He saw his mates coming towards him. Confusion flickered in his blue eyes. Tsukki, sensing Kageyama’s grief, stopped a couple feet before him, giving him the option of touch, ‘’what are you doing here?’’ Kageyama managed, his voice shaky and quiet.

‘’We came to get you,’’ Tsukki said gently as Yamaguchi and Hinata stopped behind him, ‘’to bring you home.’’

And then Kageyama’s eyes filled with tears, ‘’really?’’ his voice trembled.

‘’Yeah,’’ Yamaguchi said softly from beside Tsukki, giving Kageyama a tender, loving smile.

Hinata felt his own eyes sting, from the emotions, the biggest of which was pain at seeing Kageyama so hurt, ‘’Tobio-‘’

He didn’t get to say more because Kageyama surged forward and practically threw himself at his mates, wrapping his arms around them. There were tears running down his face. Yamaguchi and Hinata, unlike Tsukki, weren’t used to seeing Kageyama so emotional. They held onto him, hugging him close, wiping his cheeks and stroking his hair. Tsukki just stood there, pulling them all into a tight hug, like a big, comforting presence.

After a while, Kageyama calmed down. He wiped the last of his tears on his sleeve. He took a step back and inhaled slowly, calming himself, ‘’you, uh...must be tired. And hungry. Come inside, we can-‘’

‘’Kageyama,’’ Tsukki took his hand gently and drew him forward again, tucking a secure arm around his waist, ‘’I think we should just go. You’ve done all you can. You shouldn’t be holed up here anymore.’’

Kageyama’s lips wobbled. He took another deep breath and glanced over his shoulder. The workers employed were hefting the final furniture pieces from what would now be an empty house, ready for the estate agent. There was nothing in there for Kageyama but sadness and memories, ‘’you’re right,’’ he whispered emptily.

‘’Come on,’’ Hinata took his hand, ‘’let’s get your bag.’’

They disappeared inside the house. Yamaguchi pressed himself against Tsukki’s side and the alpha put an arm around him. They watched the doors until Hinata and Kageyama re-emerged. Kageyama exchanged some words with the head worker and then, gripping his backpack with one hand and Hinata’s hand with the other, they walked to their mates.

They all piled into the car. Hinata was driving first. Yamaguchi and Tsukki slipped into the back, Kageyama between them. They folded him up in the blanket. Yamaguchi took one of his hands and started playing with his fingers, stroking the back of his hand, massaging his wrist. Tsukki wrapped an arm around Kageyama’s shoulders, letting the raven rest his head on Tsukki’s chest. He dozed off rather quickly after the exhaustion of many sleepless, teary nights.

*~*~*

They stopped at a shitty motel halfway to home, too tired and hungry to keep driving.

Their room had a bed that was big, but hardly big enough for four. The shower was...questionable, but then they were all too tired to use it anyway. Kageyama stripped off his clothes and then wrestled Yamaguchi, who had been the last to drive, out of his sweater. The two of them crawled under the covers and fell asleep instantly.

Hinata’s stomach gurgled, ‘’I’m starved,’’ he complained, ‘’I’ll go look for some food.’’

‘’I’ll go with you,’’ Tsukki said, casting a fond look at the sleeping duo.

Hinata and his alpha went downstairs and out of the motel. They walked down the street, not talking, holding hands, until they came upon a gas station. Too tired to search further, they went inside the station’s shop. Hinata grabbed two bags of crisps from the get-go while Tsukki went to the fridge to get drinks. He stared at it blankly, too fatigued to even bother to read the names.

Hinata came up next to him, chewing his lip. There had been something on his mind and he figured now was a good time to bring it up. He touched his mate’s elbow, ‘’hey, Tsukki?’’

‘’Hm?’’

‘’You know how...how...’’ hearing Hinata’s uncertain voice, Tsukki turned from the fridge to his mate and peered at him from behind his glasses, ‘’well, say, when Yamaguchi or I feel sad or something, we can go to each other, or to you and Kageyama. And Kageyama...well, he’s an alpha, so he feels like he needs to protect the two of us. But when he needs to feel...I don’t know, _small_ and, like, safe, he goes to you.’’

‘’Huh,’’ Tsukki seemed a little pleased by that, ‘’I suppose he does.’’

‘’But what about you?’’ Hinata blurted, ‘’you’re the most dominant person between us,’’ he grabbed Tsukki’s hand and squeezed, ‘’but I don’t want you to feel like you have to be strong all the time,’’ he prattled, ‘’if you ever need comforting then we’re all here. I’m here, you know? I get that I’m small and an omega but I will take care of you and, like, cuddle you or anything you need. Just don’t feel like you need to be all tough and alpha all the time, okay?’’

To Hinata’s surprise, Tsukki gave him a gentle, loving smile – one of his special smiles. He reached out and cupped Hinata’s cheek, ‘’noted,’’ he said softly before leaning down and kissing Hinata tenderly.

They finished their shopping, getting a bunch of junk food. On the way back to the motel, they split a sandwich and a fanta. Back in their room, they didn’t think waking their sleeping mates was a good idea so they went to the bathroom, sat in the dry bath-tub and ate crisps until they were somewhat full. They left the rest of the food for the morning, stripped off their underwear and crawled into bed. Tsukki took the middle spot, pulling the sleeping Yamaguchi gently against his side and wrapping his other arm around Kageyama. Hinata curled atop Tsukki like a cat.

They all relaxed, finally together, soaking in each other’s presence.

Kageyama stirred, ‘’thanks for getting me,’’ he mumbled, only half-awake, ‘’it was really hard...trying to make myself leave. I felt like I was leaving her behind.’’

Hinata reached out, took Kageyama’s hand, laced their fingers together and rested their hands on Tsukki’s chest. Tsukki pressed a kiss to Kageyama’s forehead as the raven fell asleep again. He them kissed the top of Hinata’s head and Yamaguchi’s temple, before closing his eyes.

He thought he would have really wanted to be home at that point but he realised that it really didn’t matter. Whether they were home or in a car or in a dingy motel, as long as they were together Tsukki felt absolutely content and happy.


End file.
